Ruto forays in Western region raise eyebrows

By Stephen Makabila 

Political temperatures in Western are rising ahead of Deputy President  William Ruto’s tour next week that will see him preside over homecoming fetes of two local MPs on the same day.

This will be Mr Ruto’s fifth tour to the region, and some key local leaders including the Senate Minority Leader and Ford-Kenya party leader Moses Wetangula have openly dismissed the DP’s forays in Western.

And while Ruto will be pitching tent in Malava and Navakholo constituencies, CORD principal Raila Odinga and his brigade will be in the neighbouring Butere constituency for the homecoming of local MP Andrew Toboso of ODM.

Mr Wetangula, who is the Bungoma Senator, and currently the senior most elected leader from Western, was last week quoted as saying some new MPs from the region were involved in ‘stomach politics’.

Kakamega Senator Bonny Khalwale and Federal Party of Kenya leader Cyrus Jirongo have opposed the emerging cooperation between youthful MPs from the region and the Jubilee government. Ruto will on August 31 preside over the homecoming of Malava MP Moses Malulu and Navakhalo MP Emmanuel Wangwe.

Mr Malulu told The Standard on Sunday: “The DP has already confirmed he will attend the two functions, starting in Malava in the morning and Navakholo in the afternoon. Our programmes are closely being worked out with close coordination of his office.”

He said the co-operation between Jubilee government and new MPs in Western was purely for development purposes and not personal gain. The MP defended Ruto’s tour saying he was free to visit the region in his right as a national leader.

Development

“We are not playing stomach politics. We are in this co-operation to benefit the region in matters of development and not personal gain,” added Malulu.

The DP’s tour comes at the height of sustained efforts  to bring Western politicians together for unity of purpose for the sake of the region’s socio-economic development.

The initiative is being spearheaded by a group of professionals and entreprenuers, who embarked on the mission in June with a two-day retreat in Naivasha. This largely reflected on the region’s under-representation in Government for the first time in five decades.

The group has since met former Vice President Moody Awori, former Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, Bungoma Senator and Senate Minority Leader Moses Wetangula who doubles as a CORD principal, Ford-Kenya party leader and former Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa and Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli, all of whom have agreed to put aside their differences for the sake of the region’s development.

Those behind the unity initiative include EKV Consultants Managing Director Evans Kakai, Mr Godfrey Osotsi from Vihiga County, Wellington Maleche representing Kakamega County, Kizito Temba representing Bungoma County and Chris Chessa representing Vihiga County.

“Awori has particularly been positive about the initiative and has offered to be the patron,” Kakai told The Standard on Sunday.

Others expected to meet the group include Busia Senator Amos Wako, former Cabinet ministers Ababu Namwamba (Budalang’i MP) and Paul Otuoma (Funyula MP), all governors from Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, Busia and Transnzoia counties and key religious leaders.