Don't trust MPs with Unga prices debate, activist tells Uhuru

John Wamagata (C) during a meeting with Safina Party candidates in Kikuyu town on Wednesday, May 10, 2017. /GEORGE MUGO
John Wamagata (C) during a meeting with Safina Party candidates in Kikuyu town on Wednesday, May 10, 2017. /GEORGE MUGO

A human rights activist has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta not to depend on MPs in the state's quest to control food prices.

Nairobi senator aspirant John Wamagata of Safina party, known for his Ondoa Panya Movement, said most MPs are too angry to help.

The Ondoa Panya Movement team is the group that protested with pigs at Parliament when MPs threatened to increase their salaries.

And Wamagata said he is considering leading Unga protests in Nairobi soon.

"We are in talks with other civil society groups so that we lead a very strong protest in the streets of Nairobi," he said on Wednesday.

"I cannot say when it will be but just know we are talking about the issue and we are very serious about it."

"We have families which cannot afford food yet they have very young children who cannot sleep on an empty stomach," Wamagata said.

He said MPs, both from Cord and Jubilee, lost in the primaries hence are way too frustrated to be trusted with the task of capping food prices.

"You cannot expect to get help from angry people. In fact, they will frustrate you further. This is especially those in JP were expecting Uhuru to help them get the tickets."

He said at a meeting with Safina candidates in Kikuyu town that the president should instead trust his Cabinet to steer the country out of the situation.

The President had asked MPs to discuss a way forward of dealing with the food situation among them proposals for a supplementary budget.

Parliament on Tuesday held the debate which was centred on the modalities of tackling the skyrocketing prices of milk and maize flour.

"Let the President allow the Finance CS Henry Rotich to bring the issue at a cabinet meeting to discuss strategies of bringing food prices to normal," he said.

Wamagata further advised the government to have its maize, sugar, and wheat flour mills as a way out of uncontrolled food prices.

"If the government had its mills, it would be buying such cereals and grains. We would not be having such difficult times," he said.

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