Deputy President William Ruto has urged the Luhyia community to make a wise decision ahead of the next general elections.
Ruto said the residents should avoid supporting political parties that were destined to lose in next year’s elections.
He said there was need for the community to learn from their past and stop holding on to political parties, which have nothing new to offer them.
"You do not choose to lose in an election, but you can avoid losing by not blindly following a political party that you clearly see will lose,” he said while addressing wananchi at Khayega grounds in Shinyalu Constituency, Kakamega County on Friday.
The DP asked the community not to gamble with their votes by supporting political parties whose ideologies were based on tribal affiliations.
“Our competitors have no development agenda to rival that of the Jubilee government and we will beat them in the elections," he said.
The Deputy President also addressed public meetings at Ekonyiro Secondary and Shianda grounds in Lurambi and Mumias East Constituencies respectively.
He said the opposition was advancing a tribal agenda in its election campaigns.
“Their campaign is based on rallying communities against each other. This is retrogressive," Ruto said.
"We must strive to ensure our political completion is based on ideologies and development programs and not mere rhetoric," the DP said
He was accompanied by MPs Benjamin Washiali (Mumias East), Bernard Shinali (Ikolomani), Emmanuel Wangwe (Navakholo), David Were (Matungu), Malulu Injendi (Malava) and former Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito.
Ruto said Cord leader Raila Odinga and co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetangula held senior positions during the Grand Coalition Government and they have nothing to show in terms of development.
“What can these leaders offer Kenyans now that they could not do for us when they served in previous governments and in senior positions? asked the Deputy President.
“I ask members of the Luhya community to consider working with Jubilee this time round instead of supporting political parties which end up being in the opposition after every election,” said Ruto.
Ruto said the Government was committed to fighting tribalism and negative ethnicity citing the recent move to unite more than 10 of its affiliate parties to form the Jubilee Party.
“We have moved from the politics based on confrontation, tribalism, hatred and division to embrace politics based on issues,” said Ruto.
The Deputy President enumerated the Government’s development projects including construction of railway, improvement of roads, provision of healthcare services, the connection of electricity to schools and homesteads as well as upgrading and equipping of two hospitals to the status of referrals across the country.
“When we are busy initiating development projects which impact positively on the lives of Kenyans, the Opposition is busy criticizing us,” said Ruto.
The MPs said the Luhya community would benefit more if it supported the Jubilee Administration.
Were said it is time voters from Western Kenya learn from the past and support Jubilee, which he said was committed to the development of the region.
“As people of Western Kenya, Jubilee has initiated many development projects including the revival of the Mumias sugar factory which was brought to its knees during the previous regimes,” said Washiali.
Injendi said members of the Luhya community have learned their mistakes and were ready to work with the Jubilee Administration.
“It is a fact that Jubilee will win the next election because of its development projects across the country,” said Injendi.