Uriri Member of Parliament Mark Nyamita maintained that the visit by a section of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) MPs to President William Ruto at State House was purely for development matters and not politics.
Speaking to Ramogi TV on Tuesday, February 7, Nyamita explained that the visit was informed by development pledges Ruto made during his visit to Nyanza in January.
The lawmaker noted that the government was preparing its budget and they wanted the promised projects to be considered in the process.
He added that the team that attended the Tuesday discussions called on the president to finance some of the projects such as roads and universities that had been started by the previous administration but were still incomplete.
"We never went there for politics. We were there to follow up on development projects that were promised during the visit to Nyanza. Next week, we shall be doing follow-ups in the ministries.
"Let people not read too much on the visit. Let us not politicise everything. We went to even welcome him (the president) to the region for another time, I even told him to come to my constituency," he stated.
On the other hand, he criticised their colleagues who had politicised the meeting adding that they were firmly in the party led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Nyamita expressed that there was no need to seek permission from Raila to visit Ruto on development programmes given the assurances the party boss had given them before.
"Our party leader told us to welcome the President if he was bringing development to Nyanza. That is what we did when he came to Homabay.
"No one had defected from the party. We are still in ODM. If we were to leave the party, we would write a resignation letter. We are honest people," he stated.
In response to the allegations that they were paid, he stated that the reports were false indicating that they would still criticise the government as they were in the opposition.
"We must have trust among ourselves. Even in a house, a husband must trust the wife because she may go to the market in the morning and return late in the evening. We cannot betray the courses of our people because that is the biggest course," Nyamita explained.
In the Tuesday meeting, Nyamita was accompanied by other seven lawmakers including Tom Ojienda (Senator - Kisumu), Shakeel Shabir (Independent - Kisumu Town East), Caroli Omondi (Suba South), Phelix Odiwour - Jalang'o - (Lang'ata), Elisha Odhiambo (Gem), Gideon Ochanda (Bondo).
On the other hand, ODM and other leaders criticised the lawmakers for failing to seek the party's endorsement on the visit.
"We want to inform our members & supporters that our quest for the restoration of our victory & provision of good leadership to Kenyans will not be deterred by carrot dangling & dishing of handouts to our elected leaders," ODM's statement read in part in relation to the MPs visit to Ruto.
