Taita Taveta MPs decamp to opposition

A section of coast legislators parliamentary caucus led by Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako at the parliament buildings, Nairobi. August 24, 2023. [File, Standard] Two MPs in Taita Taveta County have declared to lead the "Ruto must go" opposition campaign agenda in the region. Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako and his Voi counterpart Abdi Chome had earlier joined President Ruto's political bandwagon, but have now shifted to the opposition. The two Wiper MPs had asked for forgiveness for voting against the 2024 Finance Bill during President Ruto's recent tour of the Coast region, and promised to back his re-election bid. Yesterday, the two leaders said they will work with their party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to deliver votes to the opposition in the next polls. Speaking in Voi town yesterday, the MPs said they will mobilise the locals to join other like-minded Kenyans to ensure that the Kenya Kwanza administration is voted out in the 2027 polls. "Kenyans have decided they do not want political rhetoric and empty promises. They want jobs, free education, and health, which have completely failed under the current regime. The President and opposition leader Raila Odinga, who has joined the government under the broad-based government, will go home together," claimed Mwashako, who is also the Coast Parliamentary Group (CPG) chairperson. Chome said the journey to save Kenyans from dictatorial leadership has started, and the opposition will not relent in its efforts to put in place accountable and transparent leadership. "We are ready to join other forces to save this country, and we will walk with Kalonzo, Gachagua, and other like-minded leaders to save this country. I will lead from the front," vowed the Wiper party legislator. Mwashako and Chome will face off against former governors John Mruttu and Granton Samboa, Woman Representative Lydia Haika, Senator Jones Mwaruma, and Taveta legislator John Bwire, who are supporting the re-election of President Ruto for control of votes in the region. Dr Ruto recently appointed Mr Samboja, who is a philanthropist and grassroots political mobiliser, as the chairperson of the Pyrethrum Board. Samboja's appointment has been described as a strategic move to help strengthen Dr Ruto's support in the region that has always overwhelmingly been voting for Raila and the opposition. The UDA party only won two seats among them: the woman representative seat and the Rong'e Ward seat. The Wiper party won three out of four parliamentary and four ward seats, while Jubilee won one parliamentary seat. ODM, whose political fortunes have dwindled in the county, only won the senatorial position and five ward seats in the last polls. Mwashako and Chome accused the government of giving the local community false promises and a raw deal in terms of government appointments and development projects. They criticised the Kenya Kwanza administration for failing to aggressively tackle the squatter land issues in the region, where 86 per cent of the total land area is occupied by private farms. They faulted the president for failing to implement the 50-50 per cent revenue sharing generated from Tsavo National Park as he directed on July 23rd, 2023. Other failed promises include failure to implement his directive for local miners to access Tsavo National Park to extract minerals and the allocation of 40 per cent recruitment of ranger slots to areas adjacent to wildlife protected areas. The opposition legislator noted that the vast park, which occupies about 62 per cent of the total land area in the region, does not benefit locals in terms of revenue collection in the region.

Taita Taveta MPs decamp to opposition

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