Moses Wetang’ula: We are equal partners in CORD and I will vie for presidency on coalition ticket come 2017

Q: The National Assembly and the Executive have differed over Cabinet secretaries being summoned to answer questions in the House. Is President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive to bar them from appearing before the House constitutional?

A: On this one, the President is right. In a purely presidential system like we have, the Executive is accountable to legislature but it cannot be made part of legislature. Cabinet secretaries should and ought to, as provided in the law and in the Standing Orders, appear before parliamentary committees but not before the whole House. The moment you bring them before the whole House it changes the whole format of the presidential system and you start treating Cabinet secretaries as if they domicile in the National Assembly. Even in the Senate we have toyed with the idea of summoning them because of the inadequacy of answers we get through committees but after looking at the constitutional provisions and the law, they ought not and should not go to Parliament to answer questions.

 

Q: There have been accusations from the National Assembly, the Senate and the Executive that the courts are giving unnecessary orders aimed at sabotaging other State organs. Do you think the Judiciary is undermining the other arms of Government’s operations?

 

A: First, we have a clear separation of powers. But how to maintain and sustain that separation with clear linkages because there is no arm of Government that can stand alone, remains hard. They are inter-linked, they are inter-related and must work together. The Senate is quite uncomfortable in the manner in which the Judiciary has been handling some issues and not without good reason. Parliament cannot interfere with the court’s functionality. Equally, the court should not interfere with Parliament. Parliament has a constitutional duty to legislate, oversee and represent. Where Parliament passes a law that is unconstitutional or immoral or untenable then the Judiciary can strike out that law. But, we cannot have courts injuncting, as it were, Parliament from doing its work.

 

Q: Since inception of devolution, there have been squabbles between county assemblies and county executives. In regard to Makueni, do you think the county government should be dissolved? What’s your opinion on a court direction barring Members of the County Assembly from impeaching executive members?

A: No county government should be dissolved. In fact calling for dissolution of any county government is to fall into the trap that Jubilee has laid on the path to stifling devolution because Jubilee does not believe in devolution. It is like giving Jubilee an early Christmas in their quest to give devolution a bad name and telling all and sundry that devolution doesn’t work, it’s chaotic, unmanageable. The court ruling is evidently wrong because county assemblies have a duty to represent, legislate and oversee. In terms of impeachment, every case must be dealt with on its own and we see whether it was right to impeach or not. For instance, in the case of Embu, the Senate found that impeachment was procedural, factual and supported by the law. In the case of Kericho Governor Chepkwony, the Senate found that the grounds upon which he was impeached were irrational, untenable and therefore the impeachment could not stand.

 

Q: The coalition’s push for a referendum has so far cooled down. There are various party-affiliated MPs who are lukewarm toward the Okoa Kenya campaign. Has the clamour for referendum lost momentum especially in the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) strongholds?

A: The referendum and money we are looking for to boost the kitty for devolved units in not for MPs. In any popular movement, they are few who gets things done, there are many who watch things get done and there are thousands who sometimes do not even know that anything is going on but at the end of the day, we get the results. People want more funds to counties especially when you are coming from deprived and neglected counties like those in western Kenya where we work hard and produce so much yet we get nothing from the national government. For example, building the roads from Butere, Kisa and Kamukuywa, Mt Elgon to Chwele would cost less than Sh2 billion each and they started way before the  so-called Sh40 billion Thika super highway. Now they have allocated Sh1.2 billion for maintenance of a brand-new road yet these roads are still stuck.

Q: Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale is on record saying the CORD presidential flag bearer for the 2017 General Election should be determined by the number of votes each candidate brings on board. Do you think this is attainable, keeping in mind that each party in the coalition wants its leader to be a flag bearer?

A: We must embrace democracy and democracy is about numbers. I have no doubt in my mind that from the structured movement we are carrying out in western Kenya, the bedrock of our politics and elsewhere in the country, I am definitely able to secure the CORD ticket as the presidential candidate. If everybody is ready to walk with me, we shall complete this journey.

Q: There have been a series of meetings and calls for the Luhya community to unite and support one of their own come 2017. Is there a possibility that Luhya political leaders will unite and work together?

A: Luhya unity has remained a mirage among Luhya leaders but the ordinary Luhyas have no difficulty with unity. Ordinary Luhya people stood behind Masinde Muliro, Wamalwa Kijana, collectively helped Kibaki become president and voted overwhelmingly for Raila Odinga in the last elections. Luhya unity will not be achieved by leaders standing in funerals and holding hands in a display of hypocrisy and say we are united. If Luhya people see in you as a beacon of hope, a bearer of their aspirations and a possible success in seeing their dreams come true, they will support you.

 

 

Q: You have been accused by other Luhya political leaders of supporting Raila’s quest for presidency at the expense of seeking for Luhya unity and supporting one of your own. What’s your take on this?

A: I am not working for Raila, he is my partner. We are three equal partners in CORD, there is ODM led by Raila, Ford Kenya led by Wetang’ula and Wiper led by Kalonzo Musyoka. Each party is distinct and independent. We have an agreement we have signed as a legal instrument. We came together as a coalition and subordinated our candidacy to Raila and his candidature was for 2013. 2017 is a different ball game. As a coalition we must stay together because big is good in politics but on who is going to be the presidential candidate, that is a bridge we will cross when we reach it, no one is automatic.

Q: Recently, leaders from the Pokot community endorsed you to vie for presidency in the next elections. Observers think Jubilee is using a divide-and-rule ploy by ensuring several Luhya leaders vie for the seat. What is your opinion on these observations?

A: The Pokot community led by MP Samuel Moroto and council of elders visited me and we have been having various interactions. Even if various Luhya leaders vie, that is not the issue. What is important is to focus on how to put the Luhya community vote in one basket.

Q: Will you vie for presidency in 2017? On which party?

A: Yes I will. I lead Ford-Kenya party but I will vie under CORD.

Q: How different will your administration be from others that have been there before?

A: I will treat communities of this country with dignity, respect and equity. You cannot run a country where two communities share the country. Look at the structure in the Cabinet; where the Cabinet secretary comes from Uhuru’s community, the principal secretary comes for Ruto’s community and vice versa. After all the important slots are gone, they are now going around cheating people that there is room for others.