Support the handshake, says Millie

Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo on Saturday told Nyanza residents to support the handshake because it has promoted their interaction with police officers.

The handshake deal was made by President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga on March 9, 2018.

President Kenyatta and Raila were bitter rivals in the 2017 General Election.

But after the handshake, the political tensions died down in Nyanza, where Raila enjoys massive support.

Speaking during this year’s thanksgiving service for officers at St Paul Catholic Church in Homa Bay town, attended by Nyanza regional police commander Vincent Makokha and residents, Millie urged locals to embrace the truce.

She argued that before the agreement, staunch supporters of ODM and the party MPs, were not seeing eye to eye with police.

The prayer was presided over by Meru Diocese Catholic Church Bishop Selesus Mugambi and Homa Bay catholic church Vicar General Francis Leso.

“Truth be told, before the handshake you could even get police with teargas in church. But thank God we Nyanza leaders and residents can now interact with police freely,” Odhiambo said.

The MP revealed that political leaders from the region also had difficulty in working together with the provincial administration.

She said most administrators took them as enemies of the government.

“Deputy county commissioner and other administrators in my constituency were neither picking up my phone calls nor attended my functions. It was like we’re enemies yet we served the same people,” she added.

Makokha and Homa Bay county police commander Esther Seroney urged locals to work closely with police officers to ensure the region and the country remain secure.

 Makokha said police serve Kenyans equally regardless of their political affiliations.  

“It is evident that since the truce there is peace. I want to encourage Nyanza residents and leaders to continue cooperating with police for peace and development,” Makokha said.

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