Wamalwa campaigns for Jubilee Party as Mudavadi woos Rift Valley

From left, Former ODM national youth leader Rashid Mohammed , Cabinet secretary of Water and Irrigation Eugene Wamalwa and Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong during burial service of Francis Nyongesa Namulanda at Igero primary school in Matayos,Busia County on Sept. 24 2016. [Photo:BENJAMIN SAKWA/Standard]

Barely a week after CORD principal Raila Odinga concluded his third tour of the Western region, the Jubilee brigade led by Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa moved in to counter the effects of the opposition leader’s charm offensive.

Yesterday, Wamalwa was in Busia and Kakamega where, apart from commissioning water company projects, he drummed up support for the Jubilee Party.

“I believe that the Jubilee merger is not killing democracy but a uniting factor. The era of small tribal parties is over in Kenya,’’ he said.

Wamalwa spoke as Amani National Coalition (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi, who was in the area last week, took his campaigns to the neighbouring North Rift where he met some Nandi leaders in a bid to popularise his party with an eye on the 2017 General Election.

Mudavadi’s party has seven members in the Nandi County Assembly. The former Deputy Prime Minister described ANC as “the most democratic party of choice” for Kenyans. 

“ANC is the only remaining party that gives Kenyans a choice of democracy. The coalition invites all Nandi residents and Kenyans at large to choose ANC as the democratic option,” he said.

Mudavadi’s visit to Nandi comes amid growing anxiety in the Rift over the Jubilee merger, with some leaders expressing fears that the nominations may not be free and fair.

The ANC leader also attended the burial ceremony of Reverend Kevolwe Osotsi,  the father of Kiptuyia Ward MCA Geoffrey Kevolwe.

In Busia, Jubilee-allied MPs who had accompanied Wamalwa exchanged harsh words with Busia Governor and ODM regional kingpin Sospeter Ojaamong over the county’s political direction.

Ojaamong, a close Raila ally, angered the Jubilee team when he stated that the new party had no room for politicians from western Kenya.

But Bumula MP Boniface Otsiula hit back at Ojaamong, saying the Jubilee merger had confined ODM campaigns to the western and coast regions.

“Mr Governor, you can see how the Jubilee merger is stressing your party. ODM is only campaigning in their strongholds, you need to traverse all regions, including Rift Valley and Central,’’ he told Ojaamong.

Wamalwa, who launched the Busia and Kakamega water companies, lauded the work done by the Jubilee government in providing running water.

“The two companies launched today will work independently in a bid to deliver services to locals,” said the CS.