Luhya Leaders Declare War against NASA Principal Musalia Mudavadi
A section of Western Kenya leaders led by Water Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa have denounced Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi as the Luhya community spokesperson.
Speaking in Bungoma on Tuesday, Wamalwa stated that the community will not rally behind Mudavadi in his quest to succeed President Kenyatta in the 2022 general election, saying that he failed to show leadership.
Mudavadi stated: "Today I want to tell him (Mudavadi) come 2022, he should not expect our support because he has totally lost our confidence and our respect."
"I'm serving him (Mudavadi) a notice of intention, come 2022, because of failure of leadership on his part, I want to come back and tell him that I will be back come 2022," Wamalwa added.
Citing last week's incident where he was heckled and forcefully thrown out of Maragoli festivals in Vihiga by opposition supporters and in presence of Mudavadi, Wamalwa said he (Mudavadi) was to blame for his humiliation. “What happened is regrettable and uncalled for. I received an apology from Maragoli elders and the organisers of the event,” he said. “As much as I have receive an apology, I don’t accept ANC leader Mudavadi’s position in a TV interview on what happened. I have had a lot of respect for him since 2013 when I supported him to run for President. He was like an elder brother, and he knows that well,” he said.
Wamalwa, who was flanked by a host of Jubilee MPs from the region said Mudavadi will be welcomed in Bungoma and Trans Nzoia, but should not expect their support for his presidential bid in 2022.
“Cotu boss Francis Atwoli crowned him Luhya spokesman, but we don’t want him,” Wamalwa said.
“When the late Masinde Muliro declared his candidature for presidency in 1991, Cyrus Jirongo, Musalia and Moses Wetang’ula, who were in Kanu, didn’t support him. Neither did they support my late brother Kijana Wamalwa in 1997,” he said.
"I will welcome him here, Dan Wanyama and the people of Bungoma, Trans Nzoia will welcome him as a fellow Luhya. But we will no longer welcome him here as our leader," Wamalwa stated.
Other leaders led by Webuye MP Dan Wanyama echoed Wamalwa's sentiments in their speeches.