ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi has accused Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya presidential hopeful Raila Odinga of being insincere with Western residents.
Addressing rallies in Vihiga a day after Raila toured the region, the Kenya Kwanza leaders said the ODM leader has betrayed Western before and will do it again if given the opportunity.
Mudavadi told residents of his Sabatia backyard not to fall victims to hypocritical and deceitful leaders in Azimio.
“Raila will abandon you after he gets what he wants. He made so many promises and we helped him in the past polls but he dumped us. After giving him an ODM governor in Vihiga, they later insulted my party that it could not win the seat yet it was my backyard,” he said.
“This time, everybody will watch their backyards. He is not going to get anything here.”
On Wednesday, Raila toured Vihiga and addressed several rallies after meeting leaders at Sosa Cottage in Hamisi subcounty.
He asked residents to support his August 9 bid, promising goodies for the region. He said the granite factory in Emuhaya subcounty will soon be a reality.
On Thursday, Mudavadi urged residents in Chavakali to vote for all ANC aspirants in the county to raise his stakes in any negotiations he will be in.
Mudavadi said Western should firmly rally behind Deputy President William Ruto the same way Mt Kenya and the North Rift has done.
“Even after naming Martha Karua as his running mate, the mountain has remained slippery for Raila,” he said.
Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang'ula asked Vihiga residents to support the Kenya Kwanza Alliance saying its leaders would never betray them.
“In 2007, Mudavadi helped him to get votes in Western. In 2013, I helped him. In 2017, Mudavadi and I helped him to get votes in the region. He is now saying that he is more Luhya than us,” Wetang'ula said.
“That he is a grandson in the region and we know that is all propaganda because all he wants is votes. It will be his fifth time to contest for the presidency, that is why they are calling him the fifth.”
He called on the community to rally for Mudavadi and him to help form the next government under the Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
The Bungoma Senator said they had negotiated well for the community interests in the alliance.
Wetang'ula said Raila used his handshake with President Uhuru Kenyatta to take development projects to his Nyanza backyard.
“When he comes here for votes, ask him why he took all the money to Nyanza, leaving nothing for Western,” he said.
Mumias East MP Ben Washiali termed Raila as a self-seeking leader.
“He wants everything for himself. You saw how he handled the nomination exercise in his party. He should not think he will get the support of the Luhya community,” he said.
Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi said Raila should know Western region is now with Kenya Kwanza.
“He should stop coming to us with those promises because we have moved on,” he said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
