Wetang'ula, Mudavadi urge Luhya to unite against Raila

Nasa co-principals Moses Wetang'ula and Musalia Mudavadi in Mbale, Vihiga County, on March 24, 2018. PHOTO | ISAAC WALE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • They slammed the ODM leader for the removal of Mr Wetang'ula as the Senate minority leader.
  • They said the community should abandon Mr Odinga as he has abandoned it.

Two Nasa co-principals have asked the Luhya community to unite and lock out ODM leader Raila Odinga in 2022 elections.

Mr Musalia Mudavadi (ANC) and Ford-Kenya's Moses Wetang'ula said Mr Odinga had turned the community into a laughing stock after using and dumping it.

STRONG PARTY

The two spoke on Saturday in several stopovers in Vihiga County.

Mr Wetang’ula hinted that they would collapse ANC and Ford-Kenya into one party to make a strong party.

“Going forward, we are going to collapse Ford-Kenya and ANC into one party. ODM has used its senators to insult me. We can't take this humiliation further,” the Bungoma senator declared.

The two leaders said the ouster of Mr Wetang'ula as the Senate minority leader and referring to the co-principals as cowards was a clear indication that the ODM leader had dumped the community.

"It is time for the Luhya community to unite. We need the unity now more than before.

“We have in the past taken different political positions making other people to use and dump us," said Mr Mudavadi during his address at Majengo, Mbale, Chavakali, Shamakhokho and Cheptulu.

‘NO BETRAYAL’

But speaking separately, their ODM counterparts hit back saying the two co-principals were “on a self-destructive mode.”

ODM Secretary of political affairs Opiyo Wandayi said: “There is nothing like betrayal of the Luhya community. Nobody can claim to represent an entire community in politics.”

ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna said: “People should unite for positive things like ensuring we fight poverty amongst our people not for negative things like fighting others.”

“We will not benefit as Luhyas by running back into our simbas (sic) (a small hut built after circumcision).”

UNITY

But Mr Mudavadi called for Luhya unity.

"We must now learn to unite. You have seen what happened in the Senate with the removal of my brother Wetang'ula," he said.

Mr Mudavadi said the journey that the National Super Alliance (Nasa) began had not achieved its goal.

He asked the community to rally behind Nasa and support the quest by ANC and Ford-Kenya to lead the opposition alliance.

"Our people were teargassed by the police here in Majengo and several others injured. No one has compensated them.

“Dialogue is not bad but we want a transparent and all-inclusive dialogue.

"The dialogue should involve the civil society, religious leaders, women, youth, politicians," added Mr Mudavadi.

SUPPORT

Speaking in Mbale, Mr Wetang'ula said they had returned to their backyard with a call for a united community after ODM stripped him of the leadership post in the Senate.

The Ford-Kenya leader hit out at Mr Odinga and said: "[Mr] Mudavadi has spent a whole 10 years supporting Raila. I equally supported Raila in 2013 and 2017. Our unity is our strength."

He went on: "The majority cannot continue to be subordinate to the minority. We sacrificed for Raila. It is time he reciprocates."

In reference to his removal as Senate minority leader, Mr Wetang'ula added: "The sheep spends its entire life fearing the wolf only to be eaten by the shepherd. It is the shepherd who had the knife."