By Peter Ochieng
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) director of communications, Philip Etale has told off a Member of Parliament (MP) aligned to the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya, who voted in favour of the controversial Finance Bill, 2024.
Taveta MP John Bwire Okano, elected on the Wiper party ticket was among MPs who voted in favour of the Bill, despite members of the public overwhelmingly rejecting it, and demanding that legislatures rally against its passage.
The MP took to social media to apologize to his constituents and Kenyans at large, for having endorsed the Bill, which has since been withdrawn in its entirety by President William Ruto.
“Duniani hakuna aliye mkamilifu. Naombeni msamaha nilikosea kwa kupiga YES,” he wrote on social media. It translates to, “In the world, there’s none who is complete. I ask for forgiveness, I erred in voting yes.”
He continued, “Nimejifunza kitu ukikosea la muhimu ni kuomba msamaha. Poleni sana, maisha ni shule na kila siku naendelea kujifunza. Kwa hili nimejifunza (I have learnt that when you do wrong, it is important to seek for forgives. I am really sorry; life is a school you continue learning each day. And on this, I have learnt.”
However, Etale is among Kenyans not willing to forgive the MP.
“Mheshimiwa John Bwire, the people of Taveta and particularly, the peasant farmers and sisal farm workers voted for you in Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition through @TheWiperParty ticket. You went to bed with the people they didn’t like. Please, just eat your tomatoes,” responded the director of communications.
“What was there not to see? Until people die while opposing it and you still see nothing wrong with this Bill? Like how? You never have people’s interests at heart!! You serve yourselves,” Righa Nesphory responded to the MP’s post.
“When I voted for you, I thought you will always have me as Wanjiku in your mind when making a decision but time has proved it otherwise. On this one, Bwire you were wrong,” added one Mose wa Abby.
Majority of the responses generated from his post show that Kenyans were not willing to forgive him and others who voted “Yes.”