Jirongo alleges Azimio scheme to destroy top Luhya leaders

UDP leader Cyrus Jirongo has alleged a scheme within Azimio-One Kenya to destroy leaders with prospects of rising to national leadership. 

He said Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga is engaged in character assassination of top Luhya leaders using Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and Woman Representative Elsie Muhanda. 

Jirongo said Raila should ask for his presidential votes and desist from the current attempts to impose leaders on Luhyas and destroying capable leaders for his personal benefit. 

“Raila may destroy his votes in Luhya land if he is not careful. Raila is being confused by Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and Woman MP Elsie Muhanda. We’re Luhyas and not Luos or Kikuyus and other tribes cannot tell us how to govern ourselves,” he said. 

“We are supporting Raila’s bid to become president, not because we love him but because we’re tired of the presidency oscillating between Kikuyus and Kalenjins. We know that Raila is not a good person and he cannot do anything good to Luhyas.” 

 Jirongo, who is seeking to succeed Oparanya, was addressing a campaign rally at Shakungu Primary School in Shinyalu on Sunday.

He said ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford Kenya counterpart Moses Wetang'ula are Luhya leaders and must be respected.

But Oparanya said Jirongo was one of those people who got the opportunity early and failed to help the Luhyas.

"He is envious about my proposed appointment as Treasury CS, otherwise this is a man l have nothing in common apart from both of us being Luhyas. They don't like other Luhyas to progress," he said.

"I do not expect such comments from a man l have helped when he was being auctioned. Tell him to return my Sh14 million l used to bail him out. If he has a problem with me let him face me l have the capacity to deal with him." 

Oparanya claimed that Jirongo was Deputy President William Ruto's mole in Azimio. Oparanya is the head of the Azimio presidential campaigns in Western.

Muhanda could not be reached for comment as she didn’t answer calls or respond to text messages sent to her cell phone at the time of going to press.

Jirongo on Friday asked Raila to stop working with corrupt leaders from Luhya land. Jirongo's UDP is an affiliate of the Azimio-One Kenya coalition.

Jirongo said Luhyas have made Raila who he is and he must respect the community. 

The exchanges between the two Azimio leaders perhaps point to the spiralling sibling rivalries within the coalition headed by Raila and President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Jirongo said he initiated dialogue among Luhya leaders regardless of their political persuasion to chart the way forward to rescue the community from ridicule and destruction by outsiders. 

“I will sit down with other Luhya leaders and make them understand that there is war aimed at the community and we must work together if we have to win. Raila must leave us to do our things as Luhyas. We are not Luos or Kikuyus,” he said. 

The former Lugari MP said he had agreed to work with the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) and Kanu within Azimio One Kenya to safeguard the Luhya community. 

“We are ready to demonstrate to the whole country that we are capable of offering leadership with respect as Luhyas,” he said. 

Jirongo said that inherent divisions among Luhya leaders were responsible for the ridicule of the community. 

Edited by A.N