Lugari MP Ayub Savula has challenged Luhya leaders opposed to ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi’s presidential bid to declare publicly who their preferred candidate is "instead of hiding under the Covid-19 protocols".
Savula said that those frustrating the push for a Luhya presidency will be taught a political lesson by voters in 2022.
"They have misjudged the mood on the ground. They should ask my party leader Musalia. He misread the ground in 2002 and was taught a lesson despite being the siting vice president," he said.
In Western, he said, leaders have to follow the people and not vice versa as is the case in other regions like Nyanza, Central, Rift Valley and Coast.
Speaking when he met women leaders at Milembe PAG church in Likuyani on Monday, the legislator said the Luhya community was focused on the presidency and not just being in government "because we have been in government before".
Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa have been holding meetings with various groups in the region where they have been selling their development agenda.
Mudavadi and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang'ula, on the other hand, have been having consultative meetings in the region to market their bid.
Mudavadi on Saturday said their meetings had been necessitated by realisation the Oparanya-Wamalwa axis was spreading misinformation about the region's political stand.
Oparanya said his team was focused on development of the region and were not interested in the community leadership.
But Savula said Oparanya and Wamalwa should tell the community who their preferred presidential candidate was since they said they wanted to make sure the community is in the next government, rather than forming it.
"Only Mudavadi and Wetang'ula have political parties and in Kenya one must have a party to be on the ballot as a presidential candidate. When Mudavadi tried his way in ODM he was told the party has its owners," Savula said.
He said Mudavadi was consolidating the Luhya bloc before reaching out to other regions.
Edited by R.Wamochie
