Former elected leaders on Friday criticised politicians denouncing President Uhuru Kenyatta and the handshake between him and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Members of the Former Parliamentarians Association accused the politicians of disrespecting the President and opposing the handshake that has brought peace and tranquility in the country.
“We demand respect for the President and the presidency, because they are a symbol of national unity and nationhood,” group chairman and former Gatanga MP Humphrey Njuguna said.
He said recent attacks and statements directed at the President only serve to demean the presidency and the office holder.
The group brings together former MPs, senators, governors and county assembly speakers.
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Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria and his Bahati counterpart Kimani Ngunjiri have publicly bashed the President for allegedly neglecting Mt Kenya, despite the region having overwhelmingly voted for him.
Kuria has twice apologised for his remarks but has continued to receive criticisms over his “reckless and demeaning” utterances.
Former Mbeere MP Mutava Musyimi said Kuria and Ngunjiri were ‘too alarmist and lacked civility’ in their speeches. “We need to bring civility, decency and decorum in our political communication. Our people are still fairly vulnerable. We still have many fault-lines in this society, and as leaders we have to be responsible,” he said.
Former Nairobi speaker Alex Magelo said the recent public bashing of Uhuru by the MPs was ‘sponsored by a traitor’ in his government. “We are gathered here to tell the President that there is a traitor in his government and it is time now the machinery of this country starts looking into that situation where we as leaders are seeing it coming,” he said.
Former Taita Taveta woman representative Joyce Lay said,“It is our wish that the golden handshake should be cascaded into a law to create opportunities for a more inclusive and cohesive government.”
The leaders support the impending referendum to restructure the government to make it inclusive.
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