Leaders in Busia County have been urged to set aside their political and personal differences and embrace unity for the common good of the region.
This comes amid the rising political tensions brought forth by sentiments of Busia County Assembly Speaker, Fred Odilo, about a political agreement between the Iteso and Luhya communities on succession politics.
Speaking in Angurai, former Busia governor Sospeter Ojaamong disputed these claims and clearly stated that Busia leaders have been vying for the gubernatorial seat without considering the communities they come from since 2013.
“Busia leaders have been competing for the gubernatorial seat based on merit and not community affiliation since 2013. Odilo’s allegations have no basis and are merely intended to create division,” said Ojaamong.
Additionally, the Nairobi County Assembly Majority Leader, Peter Imwatok, dismissed claims by Odilo terming them as baseless and unfounded.“There is no such thing as an MoU between the Iteso and Luhya communities. The only MoU I remember is service delivery to the citizens of Busia,” he said.
Imwatok urged leaders to be responsible and avoid fueling divisions. “Leaders must be responsible. Instead of creating rifts, let us use our voices to foster unity and bring people together,” he said.
In light of these remarks, the Democratic Alliance Party of Kenya (DAPK) party leader, Eugene Wamalwa, called upon leaders to promote peace and cohesion and to focus on service delivery.
Moreover, he discouraged leaders from political incitements and beseeched them to partake in development agenda rather than divisive politics. “Our duty as leaders is not to divide but to build. I urge all leaders to champion development agendas to uplift our people rather than sow discord,” he said.
By Owen Mutai