Western leaders anxious ahead of DP’s visit on Sunday

By Stephen Makabila

Western, Kenya: Focus turns on Western region today as Deputy President William Ruto presides over the homecoming of Ikolomani MP Benard Shinali.

Shinali is the man who succeeded Kakamega County Senator Bonny Khalwale as Ikolomani MP.

According to the MP, the entire Western political brigade will be in attendance, including Amani coalition leader Musalia Mudavadi, CORD co-principal and Ford-Kenya party leader Moses Wetangula, Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba and former Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa.

“The Deputy President, Mudavadi and Namwamba have confirmed attendance and I will be confirming from Wetangula whom I have invited as well,” said Shinali.

Shinali, who is a United Democratic Movement (UDF) MP said he had also invited Members of County Assemblies, Senators and Governors from the region.

“We are set for the big event to be held at Makhokho Secondary School grounds,” Shinali told The Standard on Sunday in an interview.

Ruto has attended most home-coming parties of MPs in Amani coalition in the region and it will be interesting to see how politics will play out today, given that the latest visit comes when Amani is weighing options of either pulling out or remaining in the Jubilee coalition. Among some of the homecomings the DP has graced are those of Emmanuel Wangwe (Navakholo) Malulu Injendi (Malava), Ayub Savula (Lugari) and Bonface Ostyula (Bumula).

Amani coalition has United Democratic Forum (UDF), Kanu and New Ford-Kenya (NFK), but each of the three has a distinct and independent post-election coalition agreement with the ruling Jubilee coalition. A technical committee has been set-up following a recent Amani coalition’s retreat in Naivasha to review its relationship with the ruling Jubilee coalition. “The DP, being a politician, may not fail to touch on the matter, and some of the MPs close to him may also want to reassure him that their ties with Jubilee are intact,” pointed out an official of one of the Amani affiliates.

Shinali said politics cannot be ruled out at the fete, given it was a political function being graced by politicians.

“Those who elected these leaders would want to hear from them because such occasions are not common,” added Shinali.

There have also been feelings in the region that Ruto is quietly frustrating Mudavadi and Eugene Wamalwa politically by blocking their appointments to Cabinet, while at the same time maintaining close political ties with UDF and NFK MPs.

Political scientist Amukowa Anangwe, who hails from the region, said nothing much is likely to come out of the homecoming.

“It’s a party where the host invites guests across the political divide. For the DP, it will be like a fishing expedition and he may come out with supporters or not. People will air their minds and leave and that is all,” added Prof Anangwe, a former minister who lectures at the University of Dodoma in Tanzania.