National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has called on former Ford Kenya (FK) party rebels to join him in his efforts to unite the region for communal progress.
Wetang’ula, who is also the FK party chief, asked the rebels, led by former Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi, to support his bid to unify the Luhya community.
The Speaker said this at Kimukung’ Primary School in Kanduyi Constituency during the burial of Mzee Cleophas Masinde, the father of Major Ret. Benard Masinde, who serves as the Deputy Chief of Sergeant-At-Arms at the National Assembly.
Wetang’ula cited the example of former Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi and his team, saying he helped them in their careers and it was high time they reciprocated.
“I scratched your back when you lost the election in 2007, so it’s your turn to scratch mine instead of hurling abuses at my leadership,” said Wetang’ula.
Wetang’ula emphasized that development can only be achieved through unity among leaders, which is why he was championing it. Speaker Wetang’ula vowed to continue uniting all elected and non-elected leaders in the western region.
“Development can’t be achieved through chest-thumping and abusing one another; it can only be realized through unity,” he added.
He said that Bungoma County had realized several development projects during the few years in government, which were poised to transform the lives of residents.
Among the key projects is the Nzoia World Water Project, which originates from Webuye.
“The government has invested 23 billion shillings in this initiative to resolve the water scarcity issue and ensure that every household in Bungoma has access to clean water,” said Wetang’ula.
He added that apart from the construction of Masinde Muliro Stadium, the government had opened up roads in Bungoma town and commenced the tarmacking of the Mayanja-Bisunu and Musese-Nalondo roads.
Wetang’ula further called on leaders across the country to refrain from dividing Kenyans along tribal lines.
The leader emphasized the importance of unity under the 2010 Constitution, which establishes Kenya as a unitary state with power shared between the national government and devolved units.
“Kenya under the 2010 Constitution is a unitary state that shares power between the national government and the devolved units. If someone begins to shout ‘my people, my people, my people,’ that person is an enemy of Kenyans,” the leader said.
He stressed the need for a nation where all citizens can travel freely and live harmoniously, building “one big happy family called Kenya.”
The Speaker underscored the collective aspiration of leaders to foster a united country that shares common values as one family.
He also encouraged local farmers to embrace coffee cultivation, supported by funding from the World Bank aimed at revitalizing the sector.
The Speaker assured farmers of a minimum of eight shillings per kilogram of coffee, with a ready market for their produce.
In addition, Wetang’ula highlighted the national government’s commitment to restoring public dams across the country that had been illegally grabbed and encroached upon.
(Cover photo: National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and shakes hands with former Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi at the funeral service of Cleophas Masinde at Kimukung’ Primary School in Kanduyi Constituency on Saturday / Photo: Speaker Moses Wetang’ula’s Relations Officer, Brian Ojama).
Godfrey Wamalwa is a Bungoma-based journalist who enjoys writing Politics, Crime, Sports and Education.
