Hustler versus dynasty talk is dangerous, says Wamalawa

Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa has dismissed the 'dynasty versus hustler' narrative being advanced by Deputy President William Ruto as a recipe for disaster.

Mr Wamalwa warned that such talk could create a fertile ground for chaos and divisions at a time Kenyans are working towards uniting the country.

“Kenya does not have royal families. We are united by one country under God. Any politics that will divide us is something that we need to reject. We have come from the politics of 'we against them'. We should not allow retrogressive politics to divide us again,” said the CS.

“We are embracing progressive politics to heal the wounds of the past. Anyone trying to wage a class war is practicing retrogressive politics. This we should reject. This is what President Uhuru Kenyatta stands for and we must support him,” he said.

He was speaking on KTN News talk show, Pointblank, hosted by Tony Gachoka.

The Deputy President and his allies have been promoting his 2022 presidential bid on the platform of his humble beginnings, drawing parallels between them and those of his political competitors.

“We should not be distracted,” said Wamalwa, who also spoke on a wide range of issues touching on the fight against corruption and the clamour for a referendum.

For the first time, Wamalwa admitted that he had been earmarked in 2013 by The National Alliance (TNA) as running mate of Uhuru in that year's presidential election. Uhuru, however, teamed up with Ruto on TNA ticket on which they rode to power.

Wamalwa was, however, cagey on the details, telling the host that "there is a time for everything".

Wamalwa said all Kenyans should support the President in slaying the corruption dragon, and warned politicians against personalising the issue.

Making reference to Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, the former Saboti MP said sacrifices must be made if the country is to win the war on corruption.

“Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more," the CS quoted Brutus, one of the leaders who conspired to assassinate the dictator of Rome in 42BC.

“As a national government, we must support the President. The governors must also support the war from the grassroots. We must have all our hands on the deck to win the war against corruption,” he said.

“It is not only President Kenyatta waging the anti-corruption war. Cyril Ramaphosa is doing it in South Africa and Muhammadu Buhari is doing it in Nigeria. We must not politicise this war,” said the CS, who also underscored the key role of the Judiciary in fighting graft.

The CS was taken to task on why Kenyans continue dying of hunger even as millions of shillings are pumped into drought alleviation programmes every financial year.

He was, among other issues, asked to explain steps taken to deal with drought in far-flung regions of the country such as Baringo and Turkana.

Cash transfer

“By 2020, we need to have ended the issue of drought in this country. Instead of giving people food, we want to develop a cash transfer system which will put money in people’s pockets,” said the CS.

He said he backs a referendum aimed at creating an all-inclusive government that will accommodate all Kenyans.

“The Constitution belongs to all Kenyans and we must allow them to tell us what they want. The issue is not if but what needs to be changed. We all agree that the document is not perfect and we can improve on it.

"For me, I will campaign for everything that seeks to improve on devolution. If we make devolution the centre-piece of the referendum, everyone will be a winner,” he said.