With focus on 2022 elections, a caucus of leaders from Western Region has begun a campaign aimed at uniting all residents in the region with a view to leading them speak in one voice politically.
Through their movement dubbed ‘Western Renewal’ the leaders led by Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, former Kanduyi MP Alfred Khang’ati, Lugari branch ODM chair Nabii Daraja Nabwera among others, have called on the Luhya community to realize the importance of uniting politically.
Speaking at St. Mark’s catholic church Nzoia in Likuyani sub county during a fund raiser to aid the church, the leaders expressed concern over continued division of the community’s political leaders a factor they blamed for its failure to produce a national leader.
They said that time has come when residents from the larger Luhya community, buried tribal and individualistic tendencies that have for a long time created divisions among them especially when it comes to making decisions on weighty issues affecting them. “We have resolved to ignore political party differences and forge a common front that would open doors for the community’s unity,” said Khang’ati who is the chair of the ‘Western Renewal Group’.
The leaders observed that even though every Kenyan has a democratic right and freedom of expression, it was disheartened by the way a section of politicians were working tirelessly with external forces in order to frustrate Luhya unity. “Western Renewal is a force to reckon and we are not going to relent until we unite our people and I assure you those opposed to it will have it rough selling themselves in this region,” said Nabii.
CS Wamalwa told Luhya leaders to swallow their pride for the sake of liberating the populous community from the yoke of tribalism, which he blamed for holding hostage and denying it opportunity to clinch the country’s presidency, “It’s not a question of joking around all the time,” he added.
He said from the recent census it is clear that the Luhya community has adequate numbers to seek the leadership of this nation but the only undoing was disunity. “Political power lies within a community’s united strength. Therefore time is ripe for Luhyas to forge that unity of purpose if they hope to clinch the presidency of this republic,” said Wamalwa.