Uhuru Western tour cancelled
Dennis Lumiti
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s much anticipated tour of Western Kenya which was scheduled to start yesterday has been post-postponed, yet again.
Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said yesterday the tour was put on hold until next week due to Uhuru’s tight schedule and the recently revised tight Covid-19 protocols.
Uhuru spent the better part f last week in United Kingdom, necessitating rescheduling of most of his events at State House, he said.
“The tour was pushed to next Sunday, but would be heavily scaled down to avoid huge crowd turnouts.
Complaints by Members of Parliament and Senators for being left out are irrelevant because there are governors who requested for the president’s tour,” said Oparanya
Uhuru was expected in Kakamega yesterday afternoon for the tour that would have seen him commission the construction of Sh100 million gold refinery plant at Iguhu in Ikolomani constituency.
He was also expected to announce plans for the revival of Mumias Sugar Company and some short-term capital injection into the struggling Nzoia sugar factory.
The President was also scheduled to issue charters to Kaimosi University in Vihiga County and Alupe University in Busia.
His itinerary included launch of the Vihiga Water Cluster and a granite factory in the county, besides restarting the Kiptogot-Kolongolo Water Project in Trans Nzoia.
He was also scheduled to launch the Chwele Open Air market in Bungoma and take over completion of Kakamega County Referral Hospital, among other projects.
Not sidelined
Oparanya yesterday rejected claims MPs and key leaders such Amani National Congress chief Musalia Mudavadi and Ford Kenya boss Moses Wetang’ula had been sidelined.
“Complaints by MPs and senators for being left out are irrelevant because there are governors who requested for the president’s tour.
Where were they before we, the governors, approached the President? They should stop being cry babies,” Oparanya said.
“Political heavyweights such as Mudavadi and Wetang’ula should not complain because they are accessible to the president to request for such tours and any other favour, but they didn’t,” he said.
“We have fully involved them by briefing them on all arrangements. There is nothing that we have hidden from them.
If anything, Petroleum and Mining Cabinet Secretary John Munyes and his Devolution counterpart Eugene Wamalwa are involved in the preparations because of their positions in government and not as politicians,” Oparanya added.
