Why Kisii MPs boycotted unity talks

FILE | NATION Mr Simeon Nyachae at a past Ford People function. He attended a meeting of former Kisii MPs, professionals and aspiring politicians in Nairobi and is said to have accepted the task of uniting leaders from the region.

By SUNDAY NATION CORRESPONDENT
Posted  Saturday, July 2 2011 at 21:30

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A meeting of former Kisii MPs, professionals and aspiring politicians from the region that was held in Nairobi on Wednesday has rekindled old political rivalries.

The meeting at a Westlands hotel was held under the banner of the Gusii Consultative Forum.

Among those who attended was former powerful Cabinet minister Simeon Nyachae, who was reported to have accepted the task of uniting leaders from the area. However, no MP in current Parliament was at the meeting.

“They refused to come despite being invited,” said Mr Justus Mochoge, who was the convener alongside Mr Luka Mogoa and Mr Joash Nyamache.

Mr Nyachae attended the meeting barely two weeks after stating in a paid advertisement that he had retired from politics.

He placed the advert following a story in the Sunday Nation that said he had met Prime Minister Raila Odinga as part of the PM’s strategy to win support in Gusiiland.

His influence

During the Wednesday meeting, Mr Nyachae was tasked with spearheading unity talks in the community.

The former minister agreed to use his influence to foster unity and offer advice to the Kisii community.

However, Mr Nyachae told the meeting that he was seeking unity and not a political comeback by agreeing to spearhead the initiative.
“We are working together as a community to bring our people together and explore ways of using our strength in numbers for economic prosperity,” former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara said.

But the fact that all current MPs skipped the meeting has raised questions on whether the initiative will bear fruit.
A source close to one of the current MPs said the legislators had since held a meeting of their own.

“Mr Nyachae’s latest attempts to rejoin politics through the back door will not work,” the source said.

The former MPs present were Dr Hezron Manduku (Nyaribari Masaba), Mr Stephen Manoti (Bobasi), Mr Henry Obwocha (West Mugirango), Mr Mwancha Okioma (Kitutu Masaba), Mr Zebedeo Opore (Bonchari), Mr Joel Onyacha (Bomachoge), Dr Jimmy Angwenyi (Kitutu Chache), Mr Godffrey Masanya (North Mugirango Borabu) and Mr Magara.

These former MPs represented Kisii constituencies between 2002 and 2007, when Mr Nyachae brought the whole Kisii region together under the Ford People party.

They were defeated in 2007 when a majority of the community voted for ODM and other small parties.