Nairobi, Kenya: The rivalry between Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua and Senator Johnstone muthama played out in public after the latter snubbed the county boss at a Wiper party meeting held in Nairobi.
During the Parliamentary Group meeting held at the party headquarters in Lavington yesterday, Muthama is reported to have refused to shake Dr Mutua’s hand at the end of the meeting. It was not clear if party leader Kalonzo Musyoka who was present witnessed the incident.
Muthama thereafter addressed journalists and termed the governor a rebel, contradicting an earlier statement by Wiper Chairman David Musila on the existence of alleged party rebels within the party ranks.
“The issue of party rebels is just a rumour and such matters are discussed in National Executive Council meetings and not PG’s,” Musila had said earlier in the meeting.
Muthama contradicted Musila’s sentiments, saying: “To say that no party has rebels would be a lie but becoming a rebel is a personal choice.” Asked if he though Mutua is a rebel for opposing the call for a referendum, Muthama posed: “If you defy and oppose the decisions of the party that sponsored you, then what do you call yourself? Mutua has never really been part of CORD.”
Despite being Mutua’s biggest critic, Muthama insisted that he and the governor were not enemies.
“My job is an oversight one and that is what I have been doing. If I for example see that money is not being used properly, then I will speak out,” he said.
The Wiper party has announced that it is still committed to the proposed referendum that CORD is pushing for.
The members added they would support CORD’s decision to replace National Assembly’s Minority Whip and Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro with Wundanyi MP, Thomas Mwadeghu.
The meeting was attended by 15 MPs.
Speaking on behalf of the party after the meeting, Borabu MP Ben Momanyi insisted that the meeting’s agenda did not include discussions on party rebels or disciplinary action against governor Mutua, who has supposedly opposed the call for a referendum.
Other matters that were discussed at the meeting included the party’s annual delegates conference, which Momanyi said was still on course, adding that the dates would be announced at a later date.
standardmedia.co.ke
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