A firestorm is brewing ahead of President Uhuru Kenyatta's upcoming mega-rally in Western Kenya after some 12 MPs started plotting their counter-meeting.
The president is planning to hold a rally at Bukhungu Stadium, Kakamega County, scheduled to take place on Saturday, January 18, in an effort to gain support for the Building Bridges Initiative.
According to a report by The Standard, a section of Western MPs who hold dissent views have, however, denounced the meeting and are plotting their separate outfit that will happen in Mumias, Kakamega County.
In a press conference at Nairobi’s Serena Hotel on Wednesday, January 8, the lawmakers disclosed that their meeting would focus on the ailing Mumias Sugar Company.
“Clearly, the organisers and sponsors of the proposed meeting hold both the leaders and the people of Western in extreme contempt.
"The announcement made on December 26, 2019, was vague about drumming up support for the BBI report,” argued the Western Leaders Parliamentary Caucus Chair Sakwa Bunyasi.
The team further claimed that the scheduled meeting had disrupted the unity efforts that were being pursued by the region and replaced it with the BBI.
“It also seems to be moving away from a collective leaders’ meeting to an ODM meeting. We urge the leaders to postpone the meeting and allow for proper consultations.
"On that day, we will be in Mumias to discuss the sugar firm’s issues, it is of greater significance to our economy and people. The BBI is work in progress," he added.
The team also took an issue with COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli's purported claims that he represented the region and had endorsed the report.
“These baffling decrees were made under the watchful eyes of political leaders from outside Western. They watched and listened carefully like the true owners of the message that Atwoli and Oparanya delivered,” continued Bunyasi.
Western MPs who were left out of the meeting, however, caused fracas a few minutes after the meeting ended claiming that the MPs planning the Mumias meeting were sponsored by Deputy President William Ruto.
The face-off involved Lugari MP Ayub Savula, Tindi Mwale (Butere) and John Waluke (Sirisia).
Waluke and Mwale accused Savula of siding with Raila and being used to disrupt the Western leadership.
“This meeting was sponsored by Ruto. The BBI meeting is a national issue and should not be reduced to a Luhya regional matter. If people are mobilised to attend, I will heed. I am not for the idea to postpone the meeting because it’s convened by the BBI task force,” argued Savula.
