Unite or Exit the political scene! Mudavadi,Wetangula,Oparanya and Kituyi told.

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A caucus called WeKOL(Western Key Opinion Leaders Council) has called on the Luhya political elite to unite for the good of the community or exit the stage altogether.

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Planet Gardens Kakamega  was the venue where the leadership under the stewardship of city businessman Mr Richard Ekhalie called on Hon Wetangula, Hon Mudavadi,Hon Kituyi,Hon Oparanya and Hon Wamalwa to strike a united approach on the national front for the good of the community or ship out.

This wake up call comes barely 18years after the demise of Michael Wamalwa Kijana who in 2002 rallied the entire luhya nation into government.

“Since independent, the late Masinde Muliro spearheaded the presence of the community at the high table, thereafter giving mantle to the late Vice President Kijana Wamalwa who unfortunately passed on abruptly before he brought the house to order. The populous community commonly referred to as Mulembe Nation has since then moved around like headless chicken with no serious visionary leadership to complete what the two had started.” the leaders lamented.

No time for visionless leaders.

The WeKol team that comprises of Trade unionists, business people, academia, and several professionals drawn from the Luhya community also lamented the state of current Luhya leaders and their inability to champion the community interest.

“After the demise of the late VP Kijana Wamalwa 18 years ago, the various leaders representing the community have failed to match the pace set by the two and reversed the strides made by reverting to selfish visionless under-representation” said Mr Ekhalie.

Merge or we Emerge!!

The leaders further pointed out four talking points which point out to the failures by the current leadership.

1. That the Western Kenya Political class led by Hon. Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Senator Moses Wetangula (FordK), Dr. Mukhisa Kitui and Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, has failed the test of time to forge unity of purpose for socioeconomic and political empowerment of the Luhya Community.

2. By hanging on their briefcase under-networked parties instead of merging them into one solid party that would anchor the aspirations of Mulembe Nation’s ascendancy to political power, is a clear demonstration of their calculated intent of using their entities as bargaining tools for their own selfish needs.

3. Despite their more than two decades experience in active politics, the above named political class has wavered and flip-flopped in key decision making thus portraying the Luhya Community as divided, unreliable, untrustworthy and lacking strong leadership.

4. Coupled with the new entry in the presidential bid of one Dr. Mukhisa Kitui, CS Eugene Wamalwa (DAP-K) and Governor Wycliffe Oparanya who is also being propped as another alternative to the throne, nothing can be further from classifying the Luhya Community as a confused lot staring at exclusion from the 2022 government.

WeKol therefore has laid down their demands as follows….

1. That Hon Mudavadi, Senator Wetangula, Dr. Mukhisa Kitui, Governor Oparanya and CS Eugene Wamalwa are hereby yellow carded and given a time line of one month (30 days) from today to decide among themselves who will represent the Luhya interests on the national high table. Failure to which they will be red carded and cease to masquerade as representing Luhya interests.

2. During the 30 day ultimatum, they will be expected to have either collapsed their regional parties into one mammoth party or penned a binding coalition agreement specifying who will be the sole presidential candidate in 2022 with the rest publicly agreeing to rally behind him.

3. The sole presidential candidate will thereafter be expected to start consolidating the Luhya base countrywide starting with Western Kenya followed by key cities like Nairobi and Mombasa.

4. The sole presidential candidate, using the consolidated Luhya base, will be mandated to bargain and seek external national alliances with like-minded parties or coalitions with five irreducible minimums being the least of takeaways in the unlikely event of not bagging the mega national coalition presidential flagbearer seat.

The disunity and lack of a collective approach has led to Luhya nation being tagged as a swing vote or rather a free market for votes. This sad reality is as a result of weak community leadership. To cure this malady, WeKol has also drawn a raft of measures that should inform the regions approach on national matters.

4. IRREDUCIBLE MINIMUMS:
1. Infrastructure development in Western Kenya to enhance economic growth. This will include a modern railway system traversing the wider part of Western Kenya including the Kisumu-Luanda-Butere line and its extension to Busia Town, upgrading of Kakamega airstrip into a full-fledged airport and completing the tarmacking of all the earmarked national roads in the region. Development of Kanduyi grounds in Bungoma into a modern stadium

2. Industry. The revival of all stalled plants in the region including Mumias Sugar, Upgrading Nzoia Sugar Company into a modern company and Pan Paper Company Ltd. Development of blue economy in Busia County through establishment of a modern port.

3. Gold mining in Kakamega County and rock harvesting in Vihiga County. 
4. Development of tourism in Western Kenya. Including but not limited to investment in the marketing of Kakamega Forest being the only tropical rain forest in East Africa. It has unique wildlife with more than 1,000 different species of butterflies.

5, Professional placements across all cadre of professions including civil service, executive government, armed forces, parastatals and educational institutions. Upgrading Alupe Institute in Busia into a full University. Upgrading Bunyore Girls high school in Vihiga County into a vocational-technical institution and later a constituent university College.

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5. TRANSITION
Western Key Opinion Leaders (WeKOL) Council will provide checks and balances for the Mulembe Nation top political leadership with the view to filling the void left by the under-performing leaders.

WeKOL Council will also provide a framework for the new dispensation in Mulembe Nation as the outgoing dispensation bows out.

The Council will thus be charged with the recruitment of credible Luhya Community Leadership on rank and file basis to articulate community interests.

WeKol will meet after 30 days with expanded membership from all cadres of professions.

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“It is not going to be business as usual, we cannot just stand and stare as our community steadly falls into political oblivion thanks to inept, visionless and selfish leadership. It is about time we called them to order. They either merge or we emerge” Concluded Mr Ekhalia the team’s cordinator and convenor.