Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula have been criticised for failing to use their influence in government to fight for the Luhya community.
During Monday's inaugural Mulembe People’s Assembly in Kakamega town, the community vowed to leverage its huge numbers to demand more government attention.
Those present included Trans-Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala and former Cabinet Secretary for Sports Rashid Echesa.
Natembeya urged leaders from the Mulembe nation to put their political differences aside and work together for the good of the community.
“We have resolved to use our numbers to negotiate for the development of the Luhya community. From now on, we will not allow individuals to use our numbers to benefit themselves,” Natembeya said.
He said they would push for accountable leadership, adding that they had resolved to hold another meeting on August 31 in Bungoma County.
Malala demanded to be told the region's share in the newly constituted broad-based government where President William Ruto brought the opposition on board.
“We want to interrogate what share of development Western has been allocated in the current budget. We want accountable leadership,” Malala said.
Echesa said the community wants Mudavadi and Wetang’ula to account for the 30 per cent share of government they promised voters during campaigns.
“We want Mudavadi and Wetang’ula to tell the people what happened with their share in government. They live in Nairobi and the people we live with here always ask us questions we cannot answer,” he said.
Apart from Natembeya, other leaders from the Azimio coalition gave the meeting a wide berth.
Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula played down the significance of the meeting saying it had nothing new to offer.
He said the agenda aimed to discredit the top Luhya leadership in government led by Mudavadi, Wetang’ula and Co-operatives and SMES Cabinet secretary nominee Wycliffe Oparanya.
Savula said Western leaders will soon organise a major meeting co-chaired by Mudavadi and Wetang’ula to discuss the new government hastily put together by President Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Savula said he lobbied elected leaders from the region to skip the meeting.
“I asked Raila, who was in Mombasa, whether I should attend the meeting and he gave me express instructions to lobby all elected leaders from Western to keep off because the meeting lacked a tangible agenda,” he said.
