Written by Leonard Wamalwa 2012-04-25 12:18:00 Read 793 Times

Leaders of the Luhya Council of Elders have been cautioned against taking political sides in their leadership as the community continues to be divided.

Trans Nzoia branch chairman of the elders Enock Imbuye told reporters in Kitale that the leaders in other branches and at higher levels of the community's elders leadership should remain neutral and use their positions to unite the people.

"If one is a leader of the elders he should use the position to unite our people at all levels but not to take sides because of politics and say that this politician is better as compared to that. Such moves are the ones that cause rifts in the wider community and to some extent bring about chaos and animosity amongst our people," said Imbuye.

He said that the council leaders should only guide the politicians and give the right directions of leadership other than preferring one candidate against the other especially in this period of campaigns as the looming elections beckon.

The chairman noted that the elders should take the responsibility of creating a forum to bring together the rival groups of politicians from the community especially those aspiring for presidency so that they can amicably agree on a consensus as to who should be the flag-bearer from the community.

"All of them are our children and therefore we should summon all of them and let the people decide whether they want a youth, a woman or an elderly politician to be in forefront so that the whole  community can rally behind the agreed upon leader," Imbuye suggested.

At the same time the elder urged the leaders especially the elders not to accept to be compromised or bought by certain politicians to stand by them and drum for their support.

Imbuye further called upon the people from the community to treat politics as churches or denominations whereby people going to one church do not pick fights or quarrels with those going to other churches and hence politics should be treated similarly.

"As much as we can participate in politics which comes and goes, we should be careful to ensure that our unity is not affected by the political activities taking place hence we should remain as one unit, one community and one nation," said the chairman.

The Luhya community has been embroiled in a divisive mode of politics whereby the eighteen sub-tribes with politicians from a couple of sub-tribes have shown their interest in vying for the top seat in the land and each is adamant on stepping down for each other.

So far embattled deputy prime minister Musalia Mudavadi is among the list of presidential aspirants from the community alongside Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Eugene Wamalwa, Trade minister and Sirisia MP Moses Wetangula, Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo and Lands assistant minister Bifwoli Wakoli whose efforts of going for the seat seems to be fading out.

This comes in the wake of the past weekend where the Council of Elders Chairman Mr. Wangamati was jeered at the burial of the late Chief Nabutola and also heckled at the home coming party of Hon. Eugene for his purported divisive leadership and commercializing the position he has been given.

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