Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, on Sunday, August 17, fired a warning at Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula as he accused the two leaders of lacking 'political independence'.
Natembeya spoke during a church service where he alleged the two leaders retained relevance because President William Ruto handed them government positions.
According to the vocal governor, Mudavadi and Wetang’ula ran the risk of losing momentum in their political ambition since their current statuses hinged on President Ruto's 'goodwill'.
“Wetang’ula is employed by Ruto; he has a payslip. Mudavadi is employed by Ruto; he has a payslip. If Ruto decides to sack them today, they will go home, and no one will shed a tear,” Natembeya warned.
The governor argued that relying on government appointments left the leaders exposed and could potentially lead to their traditional voting blocs looking at other leaders for direction.
He used Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga as an example of a politician with influence. Natembeya observed that, despite holding no formal role in government, Raila was a key stakeholder in government decisions and continued to enjoy immense support from regions considered his national support base.
He went on, “Raila is not in government, yet he is with the government. He has no payslip, but look at how many development projects are going to his region because of the votes he commands. Why shouldn’t we also organise ourselves in the same way for the benefit of our people?”
Natembeya has been a controversial figure in recent weeks, particularly because of the wrangles witnessed in his parent political party, the Democratic Action Party–Kenya (DAP–K).
Amid a growing rift with party leader Eugene Wamalwa, Natembeya accused external forces of interfering with his efforts to bring change to the party as he threatened to walk away if the frustration persisted.
Specifically, Natembeya pointed an accusing finger at Wetang'ula's Ford Kenya Party for allegedly fuelling wrangles within the DAP-K party.
The governor's allies on Saturday further alleged a scheme from Ford Kenya to block Natembeya from ascending to the party's leadership.
Earlier this month, DAP-K's Secretary General, Eseli Simiyu, confirmed that the disputes had been referred to the Internal Disputes Resolution Committee for handling, although cracks continue to emerge within the party, whose wrangles are playing out for the public to see.
