• He said the community stands a better chance to ascend to power through UDA than any other party.
•Shinaka said President William Ruto appointed them into his administration to empower others.
Image: /FILE
A UDA official has urged senior Luhya politicians in the Kenya Kwanza administration to ensure the community benefits from the government.
Desmond Shinaka, who is in charge of protocol at Hustler Centre, said Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula should use their positions to ensure the community benefits maximally from the current government.
“We thank the President for appointing our sons to plum positions in government. They should use the positions to ensure the community benefits from the government of the day because the President cannot appoint everyone into government,” he said.
Shinaka said President William Ruto appointed them into his administration to empower others.
He said it is the responsibility of the two leaders to ensure Luhyas work and support President Ruto as they are the members of the community holding senior-most positions in the government.
Shinaka was speaking at Muesli Catholic parish in Ikolomani constituency where he donated Sh42,000 towards the church worshiping shrine.
Mudavadi and Wetang’ula led President Ruto’s campaigns in Western in the run-up to last year's election. They have been under intense pressure to fight for space for the community in the government.
Shanaka asked the Luhya community to register as members of UDA and vie for positions during the party grassroots election slated for December.
He said the community stands a better chance to ascend to power through UDA than any other party.
“President Ruto has demonstrated that he does not abandon his friends. Sticking with him will better the community’s chances of winning the presidency,” he said.
“We don’t want a situation where one is in a position to help others and he fails but when there is a problem, the same person expects the community to stand with him," he said.
"Mudavadi told us when the president was in Western that Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has organised his people in Mt Kenya yet we can see little or nothing in Western.”
He said the party grassroots elections will end leadership wrangles in Kakamega county where there are two sets of officials-one backed by UDA secretary general Cleophas Malala and the other by Senator Boni Khalwale.
Malala has been pushing for the dissolution of Mudavadi’s ANC and Wetang’ula led-Ford Kenya parties parties to join the ruling party.
Malala’s position was backed by the President at the weekend when he called for collapsing of Kenya Kwanza affiliates to build one national party that will end tribalism.