Amani leaders blast Raila and say Wetangula is his ant-Luhya Unity project

By Kibisu Kabatesi

Amani Coalition leaders on the campaign trail in the Bungoma county senatorial race have strongly hit out at Cord leader Raila Odinga calling his recent utterances hypocrisy.

The leaders who funned out in the county in three campaign groups said Raila double-speak marks him as a person out to malign anything that does not please his fancy and condemned his attempts to divide the Luhya community.

“He came to Bungoma with his project Wetangula to accuse Luhya leaders of using the by-election to seek favours from the Jubilee government, yet he sent his people to plead with the first lady Margaret Kenyatta for development”, said UDF Bungoma County Chairman John Chikati at a funeral in Tongaren Constituency where he accompanied New Ford Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa.

He was referring to the first lady’s visit to Kogalo with President Obama’s grandmother Sarah Obama on Saturday where leader after leader pleaded for developmental support.

“Raila himself is busy seeking for job as mediator. People who listen to Raila must know he speaks with a forked tongue full of poison”, added Chikati.

He said the Luhya people should not be cheated in staying opposition because Cord is busy working with government.

“When the President visited Machakos and the Coast, Cord leaders trooped and welcomed him with open hands. But they come here (Bungoma) and demonise our leaders for allegedly working with government. Why should it be good for them and not us?” he asked.

Addressing mourners at the funeral of ex-senior chief Namaswa in Kimilili Constituency, Wamalwa said those who are afraid of Nyumba Kumi initiative want to hide criminals who have been terrorising people in Bungoma.

“Cord is against neighbours knowing each other, maybe because they know who the criminals roaming around in Bungoma are”, said Wamalwa.

In Mt. Elgon, Amani candidate Musikari Kombo called for peaceful elections calling on police to unearth those behind the alleged formation of the Kabuchai Defence Force.

“They are those interrogated for supporting this illegal group including a brother of my opponent but no arrests have been made. We don’t want recurrence of death witnessed in Mt.Elgon before. We want the truth”, he claimed.

The leaders also accused Raila of undermining Luhya unity. “He fought Kijana Wamalwa and then Mudavadi. Does Wetangula think he is better than them? We are tired of being used”, they said.

Speaking in Kabuchai Constituency, another group led by Webuye West MP Alfred Sambu said if the people of Bungoma wanted to know who a project was, they only needed look at those who surrounded Wetangula.

“Amani is for Luhya unity. But our brother is brought to us by strangers from outside our region. If he is truly our son, why should strangers introduce him to us? Why is he being used to scuttle our unity?” he asked saying the pictures of Wetangula being surrounded by Raila and Kalonzo when he presented his papers were clear demonstration that he was a project.

“I want to thank John Waluke (MP Sirisia) and Alfred Khang’ati (former Kanduyi MP) for refusing to be used in support of this project”, he said alluding to their an other ODM MPs conspicuous absence at the Cord Bungoma rally on Friday.