MPs defend Moi against Miguna claims

By Isaiah Lucheli

Two Cabinet Ministers and eight MPs have accused Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s advisor on coalition of overstepping his mandate.

The leaders defended former President Moi over attacks by Miguna Miguna in a section of the Press over the Mau Forest and said his remarks were personal.

They accused Mr Miguna of making many unfounded and misleading utterances in public without consulting the party, occasionally being misconstrued to be the party position.

"We, as Nyanza leaders, have no personal problem with the retired President and people of Rift Valley. It is in this vein that we find the attack as inappropriate, insensitive and uncalled for," the MPs from Nyanza said in a statement.

In his article in a section of the Media on January 5, Miguna criticised the former Head of State over the Mau issue as well as Moi’s level of education.

MPs’ statement

But in the statement read by Migori MP John Pesa at Parliament Buildings yesterday, the leaders lauded the retired President of bequeathing the country with peace and cohesion when he handed over power.

"As far as we are concerned, Miguna is not an ODM advisor and it is unfortunate that he made such a scathing attack on the person of the retired President. Miguna’s views are his own and not the party’s," the statement said in part.

Others who signed the statement were ministers Dalmas Otieno and Otieno Kajwang’, MPs James Rege, Fred Outa, Cyprian Omollo, Otieno Ogindo, Olago Aluoch, Nicholas Gumbo and Omondi Anyanga.

They said Mau was an international issue and that Kenyans should not lose focus on conservation by personalising issues. "People who have titles have to be addressed in a different way from those who do not have," said Pesa.

They said Moi had served as a Vice-President for 12 years and a President for 24 years and urged Miguna to divert his energies elsewhere.