- The Siaya governor aspirant said if elected, he will align policies to ensure that any child who is eager to pursue their education is given full scholarship.
- UDM is an affiliate party of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance.
Image: JOSIAH ODANGA
United Democratic Movement members in Nyanza have criticised some politicians in Siaya county for allegedly linking their political outfit to al Shabaab terror group.
Siaya UDM governor aspirant Nicholas Gumbo on Sunday rebuked politicians, whom he did not name, for inciting residents to be intolerant toward the party.
UDM is an affiliate party of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance.
Mandera Governor Ali Roba is the UDM leader.
“It is very wrong for a leader to start inciting people that the leader of UDM is an al Shabaab," Gumbo said.
"That is completely insensitive, reckless, irresponsible, lack of leadership and you are being insensitive to Raila Amolo Odinga.”
Speaking at St Pantallion Catholic Church in Siaya town on Sunday, the former Rarieda MP told the gathering that Azimio has more than 20 political parties, and that its presidential candidate, Raila, needs votes from all parts of the country.
Gumbo said in the 2017 polls, Raila garnered just a handful of votes from the North Eastern counties of Mandera, Wajir, Graissa, Marsabit, Isiolo, Tana River and Kwale.
“It is because of the vote basket that the UDM brings that Raila is now leading in those counties," he said.
"How can you call the leader of UDM, a respectable governor, who was among the first governors to build 50km of tarmac, an al Shabaab?"
He asked the politician who labelled Governor Roba an al Shabaab to apologise publicly.
Gumbo further said Siaya county has Muslims who have employed dozens of residents and accusing one of them of belonging to a terrorist organisation is wrong.
UDM secretary general David Ohito said such reckless statements are demeaning and negates the spirit of democracy.
The party's Nyanza coordinator Micheal Ong’ele said Azimio is anchored on the principle of unity and inclusivity.
"Our leaders should stop using such language that might cause disunity within the coalition,” Ong'ele said.
UDM has fielded Gumbo as its Siaya governor aspirant while Neto Adhola will battle it out with ODM’s Otiende Amollo for the Rarieda MP seat.
In a bare-knuckle attack, Gumbo told voters to differentiate between politicians who are vying for seats as a retirement package and those who want to work for the people.
“You must tell us what you have done to make this county a better place,” he said, in apparent reference to his challenger, Senator James Orengo.
He further said his competitors have been in positions of leadership for more than 40 years, but with no record of even a new school built and needy children supported to obtain education.
He said if elected, he will align policies to ensure any child who is needy and eager to pursue their education is given full scholarship.
Siaya Senate seat hopeful Julius Okinda, an independent candidate, urged residents not to vote for an aspirant because they have the (ODM) ticket.
Instead, he asked them to sift contenders and determine if they have any plans of developing Siaya.
Women representative contestants Sella Ayimba of Movement for Democracy and Emma Akinyi Ogola also drummed up support for their bids.
Ayimba and Akinyi want the people to elect them based on what they termed as their good plans for the county’s people, especially women.
(edited by Amol Awuor)