By Peter Ochieng
A Member of Parliament (MP) has accused Trans Nzoia governor George Natembeya of being power hungry, owing to his fight with National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula over alleged Western region political kingship.
According to Kilifi North MP Owen Baya, Natembeya is fighting a losing battle, adding that Wetang’ula enjoys overwhelming support in Western.
“Governor George Natembeya has been beating the drums of war for the last month against Speaker Wetang’ula. He is so power-hungry that he thinks the only way to dominate the region and grasp power is to mobilise goons. Wetangula doesn’t need to fight for power; people in Western respect and love him,” said the MP during an interview on Citizen TV, on Tuesday morning.
Over the weekend, a fracas broke at a funeral in Trans Nzoia, after Wetang’ula and Natembeya’s supporters clashed.
In what turned out to be a blame game, both camps accused each other of hiring goons to cause violence.
Saboti MP Caleb Amisi who appeared on the Citizen TV show alongside Baya said Wetang’ula’s experience and title cuts him above other political leaders in Western.
As such, the MP said he should not be mobilising goons against his percieved rivals.
“Speaker Moses Wetangula should have held himself on a higher pedestal because of his status. He should not have mobilized goons to go to a funeral and by doing so, he shouldn’t call himself a kingpin. Raila is the leader of his region but has never mobilized goons to go to Nyanza,” he said.
The legislature said he feels letdown by Western region’s top leaders.
“As a young leader in Western, I feel let down by our region’s leaders. When I was 3 years old, Musalia Mudavadi (Prime Cabinet Secretary) was a minister in Moi’s government and now I’m serving two terms as an MP and the guy is still a minister. We can’t continue to keep quiet and say things are the same!”
During a phone interview with Milele FM on Tuesday morning, governor Natembeya said he has nothing personal against the Speaker.
The first term county boss said his mission is to unite residents of Western – which comprise of Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma and Trans Nzoia counties, so that they speak with one voice.