Kilifi Woman Representative Gertrude Mbeyu on Saturday, May 29, made a rare admission about having a poor development record since her election in August 2017.
The lawmaker was confronted by angry constituents in Malindi when she took the stage with a group of women in the crowd chanting that the county was well off without her in the leadership position.
In her address, the lawmaker defended her poor track record claiming that her efforts to develop the constituency were scuttled following her fallout with Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa.
She claimed that their differences stemmed from the Ganda ward by-election.
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She further noted that since the fallout, she had only been able to work with members of the County Assembly (MCAs), especially Kakuyuni's Nixon Muramba and Shella’s Kadenge Mwathethe.
“I ask you for forgiveness Malindi people, I ask for forgiveness your MP blocked me from performing, you remember the Ganda ward by-election violence since then I have not been able to deliver.
“Forgive me all humans are not complete, I Mbeyu am not complete, but if you reject Mbeyu you will vote for UDA, if you reject Mbeyu you will vote for Women Rep from PAA," she stated.
Mbeyu has, on numerous occasions, faced hostile crowds including in one instance where she had accompanied her Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga to a rally.
At the event, Mbeyu asked Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho to allow her to rebuild her name in Malindi by holding events with women and youth.
“I ask my brother Joho to allow me to come back to Malindi and organize town hall meetings with Women in Malindi so as to ask for forgiveness for Mbeyu,” she added.
Joho, who was in attendance, vouched for Mbeyu's re-election among other ODM leaders. Those in the ODM team include Senator Stewart Madzayo - who is vying as senator for the third time, Malindi MP aspirant Amina Mnyazi, among others.
He also advised the Woman Rep to mend her image in the area while vouching for a six-piece voting system that would enable Raila to work with little resistance.
“I hereby allow my elder sister to come back with Mbeyu to ask for forgiveness on behalf of Mbeyu that day there will be food to be eaten as a sign of reconciliation,” he noted.
Jumwa has since decamped from ODM to United Democratic Movement (ODM) where she is seeking the Kilifi Gubernatorial seat.
