ODM: Wetang’ula ditching Raila is of no importance

An ODM official has dismissed Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula’s decision to ditch his party’s leader as ‘inconsequential’.

ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna said the decision by the Fork Kenya leader showed he was a ‘broker’ trying to use the Luhya nation.

“We are wishing him well in his future endeavours and his journeys. We are now clearly seeing who the real brokers are and it’s good they have left,” he said.

Mr Sifuna said Mr Wetang’ula was not of much help to the coalition and was riding on Raila Odinga’s goodwill.

Sifuna also claimed Wetang’ula was trying to use his community for personal gain.

He said it was unfortunate for Wetang’ula to claim that leaders should go through him to get Luhya votes.

Sifuna was reacting to Wetangu’la’s Saturday declaration that he had officially cut links with Raila, accusing him of using the Luhya to gain political mileage.

“He should not think that leaders should go through him in order to get Luhya votes. He should understand that Luhyas support Raila through their own will and not being influenced by a leader,” Sifuna said.

Speaking at Kabuchai, Wetang’ula said the political union he had with Raila had ended and that he was working on uniting the Luhya nation.

“For my friend Raila, my journey with you is officially over. He should understand that every leader has his home and those who follow him. We as ‘Mulembe’ people will be looking to forge ahead with other like-minded people,” he said.

The Ford Kenya leader said it was wrong for people to die and others to lose property during campaigns, only for politicians to back-stab them.

He said he was not opposed to dialogue between President Uhuru and Raila. Such dialogue, he maintained, was supposed to be done in a proper and structured manner and should be all-inclusive as every Kenyan had a right to participate in the country’s affairs.

“We are not opposed to President Kenyatta and his Jubilee brigade to have talks with us like other Kenyans in order to seek lasting peace to our nation. What we are opposed to is somebody sneaking like Nicodemus in the night to meet Jesus and come to tell us that he did it on our behalf,” he said.

Wetang’ula said he was working to unite the ‘Mulembe’ nation as he seeks to consolidate his support base before reaching out to other leaders from various regions to back his presidential bid.

Elsewhere, Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said he was ready to go for the country’s top seat in the the2022 General Election.

Mr Oparanya said he was working on a strategy to unite the ‘Mulembe’ nation as they were moving in the same direction politically.

Speaking at the Bungoma bus park yesterday, Oparanya said: “In the last elections, the four counties of western overwhelmingly voted for the NASA coalition and we know and understand each other and we can move together in this journey.”

He said he was ready to work with all Luhya leaders to discuss the political future of the ‘Mulembe’ nation.

He said he had called on his party leader, Raila Odinga, to back his presidential bid in the coming elections.

“I will also want to have a chat with Luhya leaders in Jubilee so that we can unite the ‘Mulembe’ nation and support my presidential bid. I am also calling on my friend and party leader, Raila Odinga, to back my bid,” he said.