The handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister and ODM leader Raila Odinga wasn’t about securing leadership positions, but about ensuring peace development and equity in Kenya, according to ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna. Speaking during an interview with Mumbo FM on Friday, Sifuna said the aim was to deal with discrepancies and problems that had faced Kenya especially during the electoral season and brushed aside the jostling for seats, “It wasn’t about getting seats.” His sentiments come even as the country prepares for the final BBI report, which may have an expansion of the executive.
Following the recent tussles for leadership in the Western region that have pitted the Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa led team against Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula, the ODM Sec. Gen. urged Western residents to invest in other leaders from the region, adding that the axis of power shouldn’t be guaranteed to rest with Mudavadi and Wetangula. “Some people were in government for too long and they changed nothing. Someone was already in power back when I was six years old, now I’m here and we didn’t see changes,” he stressed.
He said with the current setting of unity and cooperation, the region should be patient and years down the line, the scope will have changed, “There are also several leaders in the region considered to be of national pedigree, including me and Senator Malala..we just need the region to trust and invest in us.”
According to the Bungoma Senator’s ambition of vying for the Presidential seat, ODM Secretary General said that Wetangula has never been serious about the presidential seat but he only wants to use that as a weapon to benefit himself.
He stated that the ODM party is not involved in any way in the wrangles that are ongoing in Ford Kenya and ANC parties and wanted respected leaders and members of the above parties to solve their issues without involving the ODM leader Raila Odinga.
He applauded the government’s decision to write off debt of more that Kshs 60 billion owed by sugar millers and farmers in the latest attempt to revive the ailing sugar industry, and banning sugar imports from other countries without following rules required.