County leaders told to shelve personal differences and unite

Nyeri Women MP Priscillah Nyokabi (left) is welcomed to the Nyeri Breakfast prayer b y Nyeri Archbishop Peter Kairo (right) that was held at the Catholic Secretariat in Nyeri, March 7, 2016. PHOTO: MOSE SAMMY/STANDARD

Leaders have been urged to put aside their differences and work together for the benefit of the public.

At a prayer breakfast meeting organised by the Nyeri Ecumenical Bishops Council yesterday, the political leaders were told to stop bickering and jostling for positions and instead work together.

Nyeri Town MP Esther Murugi cited the recent calls by some leaders from the  county, who in defence of beleaguered Tetu MP Ndungu Gethenji, claimed that his proposed ouster as the chairman of the parliamentary Defence and Foreign Relations Committee was being pushed by leaders from KIambu.

Ms Murugi said such comments should be treated with utmost caution as they were likely to draw a wedge among leaders.

"A Parliament committee works independently and we should, therefore, leave the members to do their work. We should not politicise some national issues or try to link them to regional politics," she said.

The breakfast meeting, now in its second year, brought together political, administrative, religious, and business leaders to discuss matters security, development and education as well as to find ways of fostering co-existence and harmony in the region.

The leaders cited the dwindling education standards in the county as a cause for alarm and called for a concerted effort to remedy the situation.

Mr Gethenji's ouster from the helm of the committee is led by Minority Chief Whip Chris Wamalwa (Kiminini) and is enjoying the support of 16 out of the 28 members.