• Wetang’ula and Mudavadi had earlier vowed not to attend the BBI meeting but made a surprise appearance that caught the organisers unawares.
• Another hiccup followed during speeches when Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala invited Wetang’ula to speak ahead of governors.
Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula has put on notice outsiders out to divide the Western region leadership for personal gain.
Wetang’ula said anybody hellbent on balkanising and bastardising others will be in for a rude shock this time round. He said no outsider will organise the community, adding that he had resolved to work together with ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi.
“Let's not go the direction of thinking that if I don’t agree with you, I am against you. We may see things differently but the most important thing is for the people of Kenya to have not only unity but a unity of purpose. It cannot be unity when others are on the table eating while others are locked out,” he said.
The former Senate Minority leader spoke during the BBI meeting in Bukhungu Stadium on Saturday. He and Mudavadi had earlier vowed not to attend the meeting but made a surprise appearance that caught the organisers unawares.
Those manning the gates attempted to block Mudavadi’s motorcade from entering the stadium but his supporters threatened to beat them up, forcing them to open the gates.
Inside the stadium, the event was briefly disrupted as there were no seats and the leaders on the main dais remained upstanding for over five minutes as the sitting arrangement was redone.
Another hiccup followed during speeches when Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala invited Wetang’ula to speak ahead of governors.
The Bungoma senator declined to rise up even after being called twice, forcing ODM leader Raila Odinga to intervene. Mudavadi said he was open to working with everybody but cautioned against using the BBI to create divisions among leaders.
“I have walked with my brother Raila [Odinga] before. There are times I was against him and there are times he was against me. We talk, but there some people keen to create divisions among leaders,” he said.
Cotu boss Francis Atwoli asked Mudavadi, being the community's spokesman, to lead the Luhya unity initiative. Atwoli anointed Mudavadi the Luhya supremo on December 13, 2016. He asked Mudavadi to join government to use his financial experience to fix the bad economy.
“Mudavadi was a very good friend of President Uhuru Kenyatta, but they were separated by William Ruto [DP]. Now that Ruto has been kicked out, go back to your friend so you can help fix the economy you’re talking about. You can’t do it when you’re issuing statements outside there,” Atwoli said.
MP Zachary Onyonka said Luhyas have the number that can hand them power but they have failed to make proper use of it.