Mudavadi, Weta face off with Eugene team over Luhya unity

ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford Kenya counterpart Moses Wetang'ula have begun holding meetings in Western to forge Luhya unity.  

Their meetings come in the wake of similar meetings in the region by a faction of Luhya leaders led by CS Eugene Wamalwa and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.

The two groups were both in Kitale over the weekend for parallel meetings with elders and opinion leaders.

Mudavadi and Wetang'ula along with more than 15 MPs met elders at the home of Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa while the Oparanya group was at the Kitale Technical Institute.

Mudavadi said those involved in the schemes to wreck ANC and Ford Kenya would not succeed and would face the wrath of voters come 2022.

He faulted CS Wamalwa and Oparanya for being part of those scheming to undermine Luhya unity.

"We will not allow anyone to force us to do as they want. We will build our parties as democratic entities," Mudavadi said.

From Trans Nzoia, Mudavadi’s team headed to Kakamega and then to Busia on Sunday before more meetings this weekend. 

Mudavadi said they would not be hoodwinked to join Jubilee Party which was in its sunset period, with the government already admitting that it was broke.

He said time was ripe for the Western region to produce the next president and that he and Wetang'ula would not be shaken by any threats or schemes.

CS Wamalwa and Oparanya, however, insisted that they were not after leading the Luhya community but had a national interest for people in the region.

“If either Mudavadi or Wetang'ula wants to be the spokesman for Luhya let them go ahead. We are not interested in that,” Oparaya said.

CS Wamalwa said he understood President Uhuru Kenyatta better than any other person in the region.

The President is interested in implementing many development projects in the region, he said.

But Wetang'ula said they would carry on with the grand match to State House started by the late Kijana Wamalwa and the late Masinde Muliro. 

"We have a destination we know and we have a destination we shall reach," Wetangula said. He said his unity with Mudavadi was solid.

“We are not playing a game of poker. We know what we want to do for our people,” Wetangula said.

He added, “We are on a journey started by our fathers and everywhere we go the question has been why Mudavadi and I are not uniting to lead the community," Wetang'ula said.

Wetang'ula said the counties in Western every year receive almost Sh50 billion which must be accounted for properly.

Wetang'ula said it was ironical that five governors from the region went to see the President at State House in Nairobi last week but could not explain to him development projects required in Western Kenya. 

“None of them talked about development, including the poor roads we have. They went begging for a bus. This is a joke and an insult to our people," Wetangula said.

During the visit to State House Uhuru donated a bus and Sh2 million to Nzoia Football Club. 

"They then tell us that they had a very long successful meeting only to come out with a bus. The President must be happy that these are the only leaders who have nothing much to disturb him," Wetang'ula said.

Wetang'ula urged residents to observe measures by the government to control Covid-19 because the coronavirus is spreading faster in the country.