Raila calls for unity among Luo, Abagusii

By KENAN MIRUKA, ROBERT NYASATO and PETER ATSIAYA

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has told the Luo and Abagusii communities that the new Constitution had given them an opportunity to unite and clinch the presidency.

He told a burial meeting in South Mugirango the new constitution had provided Nyanza people the opportunity to work together politically.

Raila asked the two communities to unite and use their numerical strength as an advantage and vote as a bloc.

"We have to unite first as Nyanza before seeking support at national level. We have the numbers as per the census results to jumpstart our quest to form the next government if we remain united," he said.

He said the new constitutional dispensation would foster the elusive unity between the Luo and Abagusii communities and boost his bid for the presidency in the next General Election.

The Prime Minister said the 2012 voting pattern would be similar to the one shown during the referendum where Nyanza overwhelmingly voted as a bloc for the new Constitution.

On the raging debate over the fate over the Provincial Administration, the PM said the administrators would be assigned new duties just like any other civil servants.

"Regional Commissioners will be clerks to governors. The post of PC is no longer viable. We don’t want to pour old wine into new bottles," he noted.

Raila said there was no problem with recent appointments of DCs, adding that they were mere civil servants who can be deployed anywhere.

"This system is working in other foreign countries and yet there are no DCs and chiefs. There is no cause for alarm," added the PM.

Last week, Internal Security ministry proposed the creation 23 administrative regions from the eight provinces to be governed by Regional Commissioners.

Saitoti said most of the core functions of the Provincial Administration particularly the co-ordination of Government business are still vested on the national Government.

"The functions will continue to be performed by the system of national administration that comes out of the restructured Provincial Administration," said Saitoti.

work together

But Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Mutula Kilonzo said he was not aware of any Cabinet decision allowing Saitoti to decide how the Provincial Administration would be restructured.

Yesterday, Raila said the old Nyanza Province had been buried by the new Constitution and residents would operate under the six counties in the region.

He asked them to use the counties for business and other social endeavours as they continue working together for the betterment of the region.

He was speaking at Emesa Primary School in South Mugirango during the burial of ODM aspirant for the last by-election in the constituency Ibrahim Ochoi.

He was accompanied by Ministers Chris Obure, Otieno Kajwang’, Assistant Ministers Simon Ogari, James Gesami, Oburu Oginga, Richard Onyonka and area MP Manson Nyamweya.

Former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara, appearing for the first time at a public meeting with the PM since the by-election, said he had learnt a lesson from the ‘small misunderstanding’ that caused a rift between him and the PM and cost him the seat.

"There was a small misunderstanding between me and the PM. We can rectify that and work together," Magara told the gathering.

Nyamweya, who is a Ford-People MP and a close ally of former Cabinet Minister Simeon Nyachae, declared he would support Raila to win the 2012 presidential race.

"Nyanza residents should look at the positive side of each other and unite in disregard of political party affiliations. We will support the PM but he should form a team with a national outlook," said Nyamweya.