I am not joining Ford Kenya, MP Wamboka says

 

Bumula Member of Parliament Jack Wamboka handing over a cup to winners of a the annual Wamboka Football Tournament in Netima Primary School. [Juliet Omelo, Standard]

Bumula Member of Parliament Jack Wamboka has maintained he will not ditch his political party, the Democratic Action Party of DAP-K for Ford Kenya.

Wamboka on Sunday said although he had received several calls from Ford Kenya officials asking him to cross over, he will not succumb to such pressure.

The legislator said he remains loyal to DAP-K and no amount of pressure will make him change his mind.

Speaking at Netima Primary School during a football tournament, Wamboka said by agreeing to join Ford Kenya he would have signed up to be silenced from standing up for the rights of his electorates.

He instead, called on Ford Kenya party leader Moses Wetangula to mentor young politicians instead of undermining and selling fear to them whenever they prove to be more popular than him.

“In central they are mentoring the likes of Ndindi Nyoro and Kimani Ichung’wa, Rift Valley has Aaron Cheruiyot and Murkomen, but when you come to Western Kenya any upcoming politician is being fought by the old guards,” said Wamboka.

He added, “If only our two principals in the Kenya Kwanza government could borrow a leaf from leaders from other regions and nature the young politicians, then we as the Western people could at least stand a chance at leading the nation instead of just being mere voters.”

The first-time lawmaker criticised Wetangula's ambitions to become president saying by the time we get to 2032, the Speaker of the National Assembly might be locked out of the race by the age factor.

Wamboka hit Wetangula and Chief Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi for having duped the Western region with false promises of getting 30 per cent of the government share.

“They traversed the region during campaigns and promised us many development projects including 30 per cent of government share, unfortunately, all those promises are nowhere to be seen two years later,” he said.

Wamboka lamented that in the recent budget on roads Western region got breadcrumbs while other regions like Central ripped big.

“This is why I will not keep quiet but continue to champion the rights of my Bumula people including demanding their share of the 30 per cent that we were promised,” he said.