Atwoli: Mudavadi, Wetang'ula risk flinging into political oblivion

Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu-K) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli. [File, Standard]

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu-K) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli has warned Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang'ula of Ford Kenya against snubbing tomorrow’s Bukhungu ll meeting.

Speaking after touring Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega town, Atwoli said any Western region leader who will give the meeting a wide berth, will be deemed not to have the interests of the community at heart and should be voted out in the next polls.

Mudavadi and Wetang’ula have given indications that they will not attend the Bukhungu II meeting.

“We are not anointing anyone tomorrow but we shall be giving our community the political direction to follow in the next polls since we want to be part of the next government,” said Atwoli.

He went on: “If Mudavadi, Wetang’ula and other leaders from the region choose not to attend, they would have committed political suicide and they should not blame anyone in future. We have to speak with one voice at the ballot as a community.”

The Cotu boss, who seemed to depart from his earlier stand of banning any other gathering in the region, said a football tournament organized at Mumias Sports Complex will go on as planned.

“We have no problem with the Mumias event since it’s not a political gathering but a function that has been funded by UDA sympathizers and not One Kenya Alliance (OKA). Those attending it will be enemies of progress,” said Atwoli.

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, who accompanied Atwoli during the tour, assured those planning to attend the event that security has been beefed up.

Earlier, Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, while speaking at Mumias Sports Complex, said that the football tournament is on despite earlier reports it had been postponed to pave way for the Bukhungu rally.

“We had rumours that we had postponed this tournament, we cannot postpone because of Atwoli’s political theatrics at Bukhungu stadium. This is an international tournament as we have scouts from UK, Spain and Ivory Coast attending the tournament,” said Malala

He said Mudavadi, Wetang’ula, Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka, a host of MPs and Ward reps drawn from the Western region will attend the event.

“Those who have the interests of the community at heart, will come to Mumias Sports Complex. Those ready to fight for the final liberation of the Mulembe nation will be here,” said Malala.

Senator Malala said a declaration that will shake the country in the 2022 polls would be announced tomorrow.