Fight for Western supremacy ahead of Bukhungu II meeting.

Leaders allied to ANC Party leader Musalia Mudavadi have come out strongly to oppose Atwoli's meeting. [File, Standard]

Another major crack is looming in the elusive Luhya community political unity drive ahead of Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli's planned December 31 Bukhungu meeting.

Dubbed the Bukhungu 2, the meeting is expected to attract leaders from five Western counties (Kakamega, Vihiga, Busia, Bungoma and Trans Nzoia) who will make a major political declaration.

Atwoli on December 26 at his Khwisero home-hosted ODM leader Raila Odinga together with other Western leaders.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Raila said he had been invited to a mega meeting of western leaders in Bukhungu Stadium on December 31, adding that he was looking forward to working with everyone who would see it fit to board the Azimio la Umoja train.

Leaders allied to ANC Party leader Musalia Mudavadi have come out strongly to oppose Atwoli's meeting, stating that the meeting was meant to endorse Raila for the top seat in 2022.

The leaders speaking at Mbale during the annual Maragoli cultural festival warned that the meeting risk not happening.

Mudavadi told off Atwoli over a decision to convene a political gathering stating that he (Mudavadi) won't attend the December 31 meeting.

Mudavadi added that Atwoli had no capacity of calling for political meetings given he was not seeking any elective post.

"As a nation, we must observe democracy. We don’t want to hear that there is a meeting where someone who is not seeking any political seat comes up and says now I want to determine who shall be the MP in what constituency, who shall be the MCA, governor, women rep, senator and who shall be the President in this country," said Mudavadi.

In 2016 Mudavadi was declared the Luhya spokesman in the same meeting organized by Atwoli at Bukhungu.

Mudavadi said he will not be swayed in supporting any other presidential aspirant.

"Kenyans have the right to elect the person they wish so, we can't be told who to support and who to elect," said Mudavadi.

Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetangula also took an issue with leaders he said were there to divide the Luhya vote block.

"There is no provision in our electoral law for ethnic primaries to determine candidate. We are opposed to grandstanding by selfish characters who think by being on the frontline they are better than others,” said the Bungoma Senator.

Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala said those behind the Bukhungu meeting were aiming at disrespecting his party leader and derailing his 2022 presidential ambitions.

Malala cited that some of the key politicians from the area including Mudavadi had not been consulted.

He alleges that Atwoli and the group are using the meeting to disrupt the Luhya Unity.

"We want to join other Luhya people to ensure that Mudavadi is the president of Kenya in 2022 and we won't negotiate about it," said Malala.

ANC brigade has felt that ODM led by Odinga has disrespected them for long and making a coalition with them was risky.

In 2017, Raila, Mudavadi, Wetang’ula and Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka made up the Nasa coalition which now stands dissolved.

ANC, Wiper and Ford-Kenya would later team up with Kanu under the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) after prolonged battles about how to share the political parties funds the coalition got based on their 2017 general election performance.

Atwoli is adamant that the Luhya community needed political directions at the same time coming out to criticise Malala over his remarks that he won't allow the meeting to go on.