Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu has chastised Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for remarks he made at a burial ceremony in Machakos on Tuesday.
MP Mulu said that it was unfortunate for a national leader to censure a community simply because of their political stance instead of mourning with the family of one of the leaders in the region.
DP Gachagua uttered the sentiments during the burial ceremony of the late Anne Musau, the mother of Mwala MP Vincent Musyoka (Kawaya). He said Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka might be used for political gains without reaping the intended benefits for his political stronghold.
Mulu said on Citizen TV’s Daybreak show on Wednesday that the leaders had decided to bury their political differences and condole with their colleagues, and that they expected any visiting leaders to do the same.
“I got really surprised because a whole Deputy President goes to a region and wants to lecture the Kamba community. You know the community is the fifth largest in this country. We demand respect,” he said.
“We didn’t take it kindly and he kept on talking and you could even see that our people weren’t happy that the kind of things you are telling us, whether they are making sense or not, you are saying them in the wrong place.”
The legislator went on to say that no community should be mocked for their political beliefs and that the government should instead persuade more people to join their political party.
“The Kamba decided that we are going to vote for Azimio and that political position should be respected so what he should have done was to mourn with our colleague and in a special way plead with the community to change their position to change their position,” he said.
In the same breath, he stated that the equitable distribution of resources in the country is not dependent on politics and that all regions should receive a fair share.
“We pay taxes to this government and we will continue to demand our share so that’s why you see some of us pushing very hard to push for things like ward development fund just like the way we have CDF.”
MP Makali Mulu: It is unfortunate that a whole Deputy President would lecture the Kamba community during a burial in Machakos County. We are one of the largest communities in this country and we demand respect #DayBreak @SamGituku pic.twitter.com/Mm1B0q3ZBj
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) August 23, 2023
DP Gachagua stated during the burial that opposition leader Raila Odinga had sidelined his Azimio coalition co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka, only to have him later become the Azimio coalition delegation leader at the bipartisan talks.
Gachagua, who was speaking in Kalonzo’s political stronghold of Ukambani, claims that the Wiper Party leader will be left in the cold with nothing to benefit his political backyard, just as he was after the 2018 handshake.
“These talks being led by Kalonzo, there is nothing to wait from there. 2018 Raila aliendea handshake na Uhuru, hakuambia Kalonzo…hakuenda nayeye. Akaenda akatengeneza deal yake na Uhuru wakamalizana.”
“Projects zote alitoa kwa Uhuru akapeleka kwao. Kuna project alileta huku? Lakini nyinyi ata baada ya kufanyia nyinyi hivo, mkamtafuta mkaanguka nayeye.”
He poured cold water on the talks, claiming that Odinga has already made clear what he wants and that he is just hoodwinking Kenyans.
