- Kakamega county sports executive Robert Makhanu said that the meeting will be used by the leaders to communicate the government’s development agenda for the region.
- Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi said the law on Covid-19 should be implemented evenly.
Image: HILTON OTENYO
Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa will on Saturday hold a meeting in Kakamega town, a week after police violently broke up two meetings by a section of elected leaders from the region.
The meeting will be a continuation of the previous meetings the two held with elders from Western.
They have held such meetings in Bungoma, TransNzoia, Busia and Vihiga counties.
The two have been meeting elders since they were named Luhya spokespersons during a meeting at Cotu boss Francis Atwoli's residence in Kajiado on May 31.
Kakamega county executive for Sports and Social Services Robert Makhanu who is the chairman of the organising committee said the two politicians alongside other elected leaders will be meeting elders from Kakamega county at Masinde Muliro University.
“The meeting will be used by the leaders to communicate the government’s development agenda for the region. You know that they were appointed to spearhead the President’s development agenda in Western,” Makhanu said.
The Kakamega meeting comes a week after police used teargas to break up two meetings by Western MPs in Bungoma and Kakamega counties on the basis of violation of the Covid-19 requirements on social distancing.
Last Friday, police used teargas to dispersed a tour of Bungoma county by Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang'ula and other leaders on grounds that they violated Covid-19 rules on social distancing.
A day later, police broke up a meeting by six MPs allied to Deputy President William Ruto at Malava MP Malulu Injendi's home in Malava.
MPs Ben Washiali (Mumias East), Didmus Barasa (Kimilili), Justus Murunga (Matungu), Mwambu Mabongah (Bumula) and Ferdinand Wanyonyi ( Kwanza) had gathered to discuss issues affecting the region.
Wetang'ula lamented that police teargassed him even after he notified them and they gave the green light for the tour.
Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi said the law on Covid-19 should be implemented evenly.
"You cannot have a law that restrains some people under the Covid-19 crisis and allows another segment to break the law wantonly. It should be even," he said.
The meeting by the two leaders have been viewed as a ploy by those eyeing the Western vote bloc in 2022 to undermine Mudavadi and Wetang'ula.
Edited by Henry Makori