By Geoffrey Mosoku
Leaders from Western province are planning a series of meetings to chart the way forward for the community in the aftermath of the general elections.
Organizers of the meetings, say the community wants to start uniting itself and pick a leader who will steer them, following Musalia Mudavadi’s dismal performance in the March 4 elections.
The first of such meeting will be held in Nairobi next week on Monday, where Luhyia elected leaders, businessmen and professionals have been invited.
“We will bring all leaders tighter to this important event,” former Nairobi mayor George Aladwa who has convened the meeting said.
Aladwa, who is also the Nairobi ODM chairman, says the community was contemplating rallying behind Bungoma senator Moses Wetangula as the region’s leader.
He however said other leaders such as Cyrus Jirongo and Eugene Wamalwa will be invited and their contributions will be highly regarded.
Aladwa says the community that overwhelming voted for CORD in spite of UDF’s Mudavadi had given Wetangula and impetus in holding sway of the region’s political interests.
“The fact that Wetangula managed to mobilise support for Cord and succeed in capturing the Bungoma senate gives him an upper hand when as a community we anoint our spokesman,” he said.
However, the leaders says that if the community is united from the onset, by the time the country goes for another electoral cycle, its say will mater as appertains to who becomes the next president of the country.
Meanwhile UDF chairman and nominated MP Osman Hassan has sought to clarify his stand on the work of county commissioners.
Hassan says contrary to reports attributed to him, the county commissioners are in office legally after parliament passed a law to restructure the provincial administration.
“I have not termed the county commissioners as being in office illegally since I know that they are protected by the constitution following parliament’s enactment of the law to spell their duties,” he said.
Over the weekend, our sister paper, The Standard on Sunday, reported that Hassan as having said; “it’s an outright violation of the constitution 2010 for the executive to make absolute decision to appoint 47 County Commissioners.”
However, the nominated MP clarified this position saying he was misquoted. The UDF boss added that he will use his position in parliament to act as an ambassador to promote peaceful coexistence among various communities in the country.
“I am a resident of Rift Valley although I was born in Mandera County, and I will be using this experience to promote peaceful and harmonious co-existence among our people,” he said.
Hassan says that his party will also support policies and laws that will facilitate devolution so as to take resources to the people in the grassroots
