Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi calls for Luhya unity

The Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has called on the political leadership of the larger Western Kenya region drawn from the counties of Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Vihiga and Trans Nzoia to unite to achieve faster development.

While speaking in Busia, Mudavadi made it clear that there will be no progress in terms of development for the region if the leaders don’t unite and work towards achieving a common goal. He said the Western region has lagged behind and wasted so much time as a result of differences among leaders.

“Poverty in Western Kenya region is now at an alarming stage. The Kenya National Bureau Statistics tell a sad story. Recently I realized that poverty in Western Kenya is now visible from the skies as compared to our neighbors. This is a serious issue that requires collective attention and interventions,” said Mudavadi.

His sentiments were echoed by Busia governor Paul Otuoma who said that leaders are taking too long to put election differences behind them for development decrying that poverty index in Busia County stands at 0.04 per cent.

Mudavadi appealed to the communities from the Western Kenya to take stock of where they want to place the region on the map of Kenya in the near future on matters related to economic growth and sustainability. He called for the unity of purpose for the region:

“Politics and resource allocation go hand in hand. This calls for a mechanism on how to use political influence to manage resources and advance development projects for any region. We need to ask ourselves as a people, what is our vote in parliament during the budget making process. If our votes are scattered, how do we expect to reap maximum results when the national resources are being shared? It is time we join hands and rally together as a region.” added Mudavadi.

“We need to streamline our programmes that are development oriented. We have to begin coming up with programmes that will rally this region together bringing on board all the communities to speak in one voice. I am ready to work with the government through the stewardship of our elder brother the Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to come up with ways that will ensure economic revival of the Western Kenya region.” Otuoma noted.

The stakeholder meeting was held yesterday at the home of Mzee Philip Masinde, former cabinet minister during the late retired President Daniel Arap Moi’s era, resolved to adopt a bottom-up approach in tackling the challenges facing the region economically.

The elders suggested that the ideas and findings from the basic level of representation at the grassroot be integrated systematically to the county and national level when key policies and resolutions are being made for the development agenda of the region.

“We need to speak in one voice for us to see to it that Mumias Sugar Company and the ailing Nzoia Sugar Company are back to full operation. Our cotton factories should be revived as well as our agricultural sector. All these will only be achieved if we purpose to work with the administration that is in power, through the support we give to our senior leaders in government led by Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula.” Mzee Philip Masinde, the host observed.

Mudavadi said time for politicking is over, there is no turning back and there is no room for engaging a reverse gear in the view of which side won the election and formed government.

“Kenyans made a decision on the ballot. Whether you voted for Azimio or Kenya Kwanza it was a personal, democratic and constitutional right. The supreme court pronounced itself unanimously on the election petition of August 2022. The President of Kenya is Dr William Ruto.” said Mudavadi.

“It is time for Kenyans who are still living in the past memories of the 2022 elections to wake up to the reality, it is time we move on and rally together as a region and as a nation. Let us learn to accept the reality in two ways; We defeated you, let us come together and move forward and You defeated us, we are ready to join hands and work together.” Mudavadi added in his remarks as he addressed over 500 various stakeholders and elders drawn from the Western Kenya Region under the umbrella of the Western Kenya Region Council of elders.

In a veiled attack to Azimio coalition and opposition leader Raila Odinga, Mudavadi said president Ruto was elected democratically.

“You cannot keep on saying, you don’t recognise President Moi’s regime he didn’t win, President Kibaki didn’t win, President Uhuru didn’t win and eventually you find your way and begin working with those governments.” Mudavadi said.