• ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford Kenya counterpart Moses Wetangula now say they have not been invited for the Bukhungu BBI meeting.
• The Duo on Saturday said it was unfortunate that instead of getting a formal invite, they have only been invited through social media.
Image: COURTESY
ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford Kenya counterpart Moses Wetangula now say they have not been invited for the Bukhungu BBI meeting.
The Duo on Saturday said it was unfortunate that instead of getting a formal invite, they have only been invited through social media.
They spoke when they attended the burial of Jane Bugutsa in Kegoye, Vihiga county.
The late was the daughter in law of first Education Minister in Kenyatta's government Late Joseph Daniel Otiende
Mudavadi said matters in the BBI Report are extremely important to the people and the country.
The ANC leader said it is however unfortunate that the BBI has hatched political groupings that are already sending the country into division.
Mudavadi said as Western leaders, all they want is for Kenyans to shun divisive politics being hatched from BBI.
"My brother Wetangula and I have not received an invitation to the January 18th Bukhungu Meeting. Someone decided to invite us through social media," he said.
He added, "We need to be respected and this matter treated with the seriousness it deserves".
He said Kenya should have a culture where people can read, understand and make proper decisions.
"We should be able to analyse and evaluate things and make judgments which are informed. That's why we take these children to school".
Mudavadi said, as a result, said he will not be pushed to blindly follow a narrative that is not familiar to Kenyans.
"I am not one who will be pushed on things by some individuals, no," he said.
His sentiment comes as ODM leader Raila Odinga’s allies are strategically laying the ground for the BBI initiative ahead of the second phase of public engagement.
The second phase is expected to alter the BBI proposals with an emphasis on the Executive structure, which many quarters have dismissed as weak.
Already, two meetings have been planned this month in Nyanza and Western to not only drum up support for the document but also to suggest new changes to be effected in the second round of engagement.
Yesterday Raila presided over ‘Kisii declaration’ that culminated in the lake region taking a common position on the report.
The western meeting, scheduled to take place on January 18 at Bukhungu Stadium, is being coordinated by Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga are among dignitaries expected in the meeting.
Earlier on Mudavadi had said has ill motives.
He said the meeting will have little to do with the BBI report since it is targeted at him as a senior politician from western Kenya.
"Organisers of the so-called seminar to discuss the BBI report are targeting me. They should come straight for me and avoid hiding behind the BBI," he said.
Mudavadi said the meeting is particularly geared towards isolating him as a leader from the region.
"That so-called drive has got nothing to with unity but it is a cologned ODM party affair. At least Siaya senator James Orengo has the political maturity and courage to admit as much," he added.
On Saturday he went further to call on leaders to stop wastage of public resources and using BBI to divide Kenyans.
The former deputy prime minister said the BBI taskforce should instead gazette and circulate their program of engaging Kenyans to allow Kenyans to push for their interests.
Musalia said that the economy was doing badly and the standards of living are wanting, which required more attention at the moment.
“Slow economic growth is where Kenyans are hurting the most. The standards of living are wanting and people are suffering," Musalia said.
“The economy is crippling and needs to be revived. This where Kenyans are hurting the most."
“It is good to let Wananchi set the agenda. We are seeing coffee, tea, poultry, sugar and farming at large dying at the time we should be focused on protecting farmers, creating markets and securing the future,” he said.
His sentiments were echoed by Wetangula who said together with Mudavadi they had sacrifice over 10 years of their political career for Raila Odinga who continues to take them for a ride.
Wetangula said a time has come for Raila to return back to the Luhya nation for the overwhelming support he has received over the years.
"Our people should not allow leaders from outside to divide us. Luhyia leaders are fully united. If that was not true, Musalia and I wouldn't have come here using the same car" he said.
Wetang’ula earlier on had rubbished the Bukhungu meeting saying Cotu boss Francis Atwoli, the man behind the meeting was allegedly "hawking the community for his selfish interests."
“Atwoli is a man looking for relevance and attention and every time he plays his games, he has some people funding him,” said Wetang’ula.