Governor Laboso extends olive branch to angry MPs
Governor Joyce Laboso has said se is ready to meet the MPs who walked out of a function attended by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso has offered an olive branch to seven members of Parliament who walked out of a function attended by President Uhuru Kenyatta, accusing her of not recognising their presence.
In what seems to be a move to forestall a further political falling out, Dr Laboso said she was ready to meet the leaders to discuss differences that might have been caused by the protocol hitch, when the President opened a tuition block at Bomet University College.
“It is unfortunate that local politics has overshadowed the LREB conference, which is the first for the bloc, and which we had the honour of hosting, complete with the President and Deputy President in attendance, to signify the seriousness with which the Presidency takes the plans to create a regional economic bloc,” said Dr Laboso, the LREB Vice-Chairperson.
Dr Laboso and LREB Chairman Kakamega Governor Wycliff Oparanya had, while welcoming the President to the function, clearly stated that the bloc was formed solely to economically empower the member counties, and that politics was not in the script.
“In LREB, our only agenda is economic issues and empowerment of the people by creating local and international markets for farm produce including tea, sugar, coffee and milk by leveraging on the economy of scales,” said Mr Oparanya, oblivious of the fact that as he spoke MPs were holding a parallel meeting.
LREB brings together Kisumu, Nyamira, Kisii Kakamega, Siaya, Homa Bay, Bomet, Kericho, Busia, Vihiga, Migori, Bungoma, Trans Nzoia and Nandi counties, with governors from the region signing a Memorandum of Understanding on March 26, this year in Kakamega.
Dr Aballa Wanga, the LREB chief executive officer said: “The sideshows by MPs during the Presidential visit was unfortunate and uncalled for. LREB member counties will, however, not be distracted from its main agenda to create an economic bloc that will benefit people from the 14 counties,”
“The incident will further strengthen the resolve of the governors and members of county assemblies to embark on public participation meetings with the people so as to demystify the misconceptions created by leaders who are not directly involved with the operations of the bloc,” said Dr Abdalla.
So far, only the Kakamega, Kisii and Kisumu county assemblies have passed the LREB Bill, with the other nine having been given six weeks to pass the bill.
The protesting MPs held a parallel meeting a short distance from where President Kenyatta was presiding over the opening of the LREB’s three-day investment conference.
