- Khatundi said DAP-K Senate candidate Joshua Werunga will not step down for Muliro but will fairly compete to defeat Kenya Kwanza candidates.
- "We don’t need a weakling for a senator here in Trans Nzoia," she said.
Image: DAVID MUSUNDI
Sibling rivalry among ODM and Democratic Action Party leaders was in display during a funeral service in Saboti on Saturday.
Azimio campaign manager Moses Khaoya and his assistant Esther Olenje Koli told DAP- K to reciprocate ODM’s gesture of withdrawing from the gubernatorial race in support of George Natembeya and pull out of the Senate race.
The leaders were were attending the burial of Topista Nakhumicha Webo in Saboti, Trans Nzoia.
"I was Khaoya’s running mate for Trans Nzoia governor and we stepped down in favour of our brother Natembeya when Baba ordered us to bag out. It is not fair for DAP-K to field a candidate at the senatorial level," Olenje said.
She also drummed up support for Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua.
Olenje said Karua is a great boost to women of Kenya who have for long sought footing in political leadership.
DAP-K woman representative candidate Phanice Khatundi however said Trans Nzoia needs a stronger senator to stop Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang'ula from making his advances.
She said DAP-K Senate candidate Joshua Werunga will not step down for ODM senatorial candidate Musoke Muliro but will fairly compete to defeat Kenya Kwanza candidates Henry Ole Ndiema and Allan Chesang.
"We don’t need a weakling for a senator here in Trans Nzoia. We need a strong man who sees far like a giraffe. One who will tell Weta that Trans Nzoia is not a subcounty of Bungoma," she said.
Khatundi said the county had lagged in development due to Wetang'ula's interference.
She said Wetang'ula dictated the employment and awarding of contracts to his political cronies.
"No son or daughter of this county is employed in the outgoing governor’s government. Tenders were also awarded to Bungoma people leaving us in poverty," Khatundi said.
Muliro however urged residents to vote out all leaders who were close to outgoing governor Patrick Khaemba.
He said the leaders failed to deliver on their promises.
Muliro said the leaders did not have the interest of the people of Trans Nzoia at heart and they should not be allowed to form the next government.
"I am asking voters to sweep away all these people. They are a big letdown and should be sent packing, Wakwende huko," he said.
Former Rift Valley regional commissioner George Natembeya who is the Azimio Trans Nzoia gubernatorial candidate and his running mate Philomena Kapkori were also present.
He however did not engage in the political squabbles and called for unity among all Azimio member parties in the county.
Natembeya promised to address the health, agriculture and education challenges in the county, once elected.
"It is a pity that Trans Nzoia has a serious health challenges, where our people are losing lives due to poor systems.
"The lady whom we are burying today should not have died had there been a well equipped referral and teaching hospital," he said.
Natembeya blamed the outgoing administration for failure to complete the Trans Nzoia County Teaching and Referral Hospital, which he said would have saved lives of many patients.
The former administrator said a senior citizen had lost her life just because of the wrong use of insulin.
He said a nurse gave her double jab without going through the doctor’s prescription.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
