Aspirants dismiss Ongeri, TNA links

By Beauttah Omanga

Leaders from Nyamira and Kisii counties have dismissed claims the region was a strong TNA base.

The group of aspirants told Cabinet Minister Sam Ongeri and other MPs from the region to wake up to the reality that Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto had no place for the community in their power sharing deal.

They expressed concern that while Ongeri and his camp were busy forcing themselves into the group, TNA and URP leaders had no room for them as exemplified through the ‘line-ups’.

Led by minister Chris Obure, James Ongwae and Peter Kimori, the ODM campaigners termed the claims that the two counties were solidly behind Uhuru as an abuse.

The group was reacting to media reports attributed to Ongeri and MPs Robert Monda, Wilfred Ombui and Walter Nyambati that the Kisii supported Uhuru through the G7 alliance.

“Ongeri and his team are misguided and have no authority or mandate to claim to speak for the community. Such statements are primitive and long over taken by the current national politics,” said Ongwae.

Wake up

Kimori, who is eying the Bomachoge Borabu parliamentary seat on ODM ticket, said the community is independent and any assumption they have resolved to support Uhuru was ‘wishful thinking’.

He said when Uhuru led a team to visit African countries, there was no representative from the region. “Cant Ongeri and the four MPs rooting for Uhuru know the obvious that they are not welcome to TNA/URP deal? Ongwae wondered.

Other in the group were aspirants Timothy Bosire (Kitutu Masaba), Rahid Miyonga (South Mugirango), Patrick Osero (Borabu) and Justus Mochoge (Kitutu Chache).

 They challenged Ongeri and his team to wake up to a reality that days when some leaders pretended to be community spokesmen were long gone.

Speaking in Nakuru yesterday, Kimori who read the statement said the Kisii community was not likely to support tribal groupings aimed at side-lining other tribes in the country.