It has now been established that United Democratic Forum (UDF) Party leader, Musalia Mudavadi turned down an invitation by President Uhuru Kenyatta for UDF leaders to accompany him on recent rallies in Western Kenya region. Mudavadi is one of the senior leaders in western Kenya region and his absence from Uhuru's entourage signified the growing rift between the region and the ruling Jubilee coalition.
The President toured parts of Western Kenya over the weekend and held rallies and meetings with local leaders.
Mudavadi's confidants said that the former Sabatia MP was not satisfied by Jubilee's failure to honour a post-election pact which would have seen him or his party members included in the Jubilee's administration.
Mudavadi also had grievances over the recent arrest of Lamu governor, Issa Timamy who is UDF's only elected governor.
UDF and Jubilee signed a post-election pact after the general election which supposedly made Mudavadi a key cog in the ruling coalition.
However, signs of strained relations between the two parties emerged early this month when the government arrested Lamu governor, Issa Timamy accusing him of masterminding killings in Lamu county.
The charges filed against the governor were similar to those currently facing Uhuru Kenyatta at the International Criminal Court.
Timamy's arrest was viewed as an attack on UDF leading to protests led by Mudavadi. UDF also threatened to walkout of the ruling Jubilee outfit.
Mudavadi was also miffed by the fact that news of the Presidential tour of Western was communicated to him by a low-ranking Jubilee functionary.
Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi said that Mudavadi snubbed the Presidential tour because the Luhya community feels increasingly ignored and marginalised by the Uhuru State.
"Mudavadi boycotted the tour because the Luhya have been marginalized, despite our plea that our people should be considered for senior government appointments,” he said.
“They have ignored us and the people are telling us to keep off this government. No one from this region is in the cabinet. We have always had a cabinet minister since Independence and the fact that we don’t have this time shows that we are not needed,” said Agoi who also accused Uhuru's administration of perpetuating lies.
“You cannot be coming here to lie to us every other moment and expect our support. It can never happen and our party leader is considering alternative ways away from this Jubilee government.”
“He should stop lying to Kenyans,” Agoi fumed, “The projects he is talking big about were started by Kibaki during the Grand Coalition, nothing new here.”
Reuben Ombima, an ODM Nominated MCA, challenged Uhuru to create new development projects in the county and stop piggy-backing on those launched by the Grand Coalition.
“The three roads Uhuru supposedly commissioned were launched by Raila Odinga and Mwai Kibaki during the Grand Coalition. It is a known fact in this region. Let Uhuru initiate his own projects in Western Kenya".
It also emerged on Sunday that anger is welling up in the region over the development projects President Uhuru alleged to have commissioned during the one-day tour.
The anger is based on the fact that the three roads the President and his deputy commissioned were actually work-in-progress that were commissioned in the sunset days of the Grand Coalition government.
“The whole approach has been wrong. These people will never understand the psyche of the Luhya people. Going to Kakamega would have been akin to selling the luhya people on the cheap,” an MP known to support Mudavadi commented.
The tour was snubbed by all but a few of the region's leaders.
www.doitadigital.com