NAIROBI, KENYA: The ugly incident that was the heckling of President Uhuru Kenyatta in Migori Wednesday turned into a circus after a delegation that was to offer an apology to the Head of State failed to make it after it was kept waiting for hours at Uhuru Park.
The delegation was allegedly sponsored by the county leadership. State House finally rescheduled the meeting to today at 10am after the delegation spent hours awaiting confirmation that their 370km journey had not been in vain.
The delegation of over 400 led by Migori Governor Okoth Obado had looked forward to a warm reception at the President’s residence, only to be subjected to a long wait under the scorching sun at the historical grounds.
Perhaps to reassure them from the awkward feeling of uninvited guests to the city, Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero visited the group in solidarity with their noble cause.
Drawn from the eight sub-counties in Migori, the delegation comprising county, women and youth leaders in four buses, had driven into the city at around 5am.
But by 5pm, they were yet to get clearance from State House for the appointment with President Kenyatta. State House officials said the group had not been slotted into the Head of State’s diary.
The President’ spokesman Manoah Esipisu said Uhuru was busy all day long in security meetings, as he had arrived on Tuesday evening from a two-day visit to Equatorial Guinea.
“The meeting of the governor and people of Migori was not on the President’s diary, but efforts are being made and maybe they can see him later this evening or tomorrow,” Esipisu told The Standard on phone Wednesday.
Also in the delegation were Migori Senator Wilfred Machage, County Executive Committee members, County Assembly Speaker Gordon Ogolla, Members of County Assemblies (MCAs), youths and women leaders.
Mr Obado could be seen making frantic calls at Uhuru Park. He told the Press that he could only grant a briefing after meeting the President.
A member of the delegation claimed that they were hurriedly assembled and informed that they were coming to Nairobi to see the Head of State to make an apology following last week’s disruption of the President’s rally. Then, rowdy youths heckled and threw shoes at the dais prompting the President to hurriedly conclude the function.
Since the incident, the county leaders have been on a blame game over who paid the goons, as police continue with investigations.
“We were assembled on Tuesday morning and told that we are coming to Nairobi,” said a member of the delegation.
But just like the area leaders couldn’t agree on who was to blame for the ugly spectacle last week, so were divisions about Wednesday’s apology mission.
Area MPs Omondi Anyanga (Nyatike), Jared Kopiyo (Awendo), Junet Mohammed (Suna East) and John Kobado (Uriri) said they had been sidelined in preparations for the visit.
Earlier, The Standard learnt that the delegation first stopped at the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) formerly Kenya Polytechnic along Nairobi’s Haile Selassie Avenue then went to Uhuru Park.
Kidero visited them at Uhuru Park and condemned the incident that embarrassed the President.
“All governments are chosen and ordained by God. Whoever arranged the incident in Migori must apologise, but we have forgiven them because they don’t know what they were doing,” said Kidero.
He then hurriedly left the podium for another meeting but promised to see the visitors later in the day.
There were claims that the delegation was paid through county government coffers for the trip, but Joshua Ongwara, the Migori County chief of protocol, denied this.
“We planned a two-day meeting with the locals to mend the broken relationship between the county and President Kenyatta and all delegates contributed their own funds to meet the expenses. We have not spent county funds,” Ongwara said.
Mr Mohamed, who has recorded a statement with the police over the heckling incident, said it was important for Obado to go and apologise to the President.
“Obado should take the earliest responsibility to apologise to the President for mishandling his trip. He owes the President and Migori people an apology because what happened in Migori was caused by the governor,” Mohamed claimed. The MP alleged the people who accompanied the governor were paid Sh7,000.
“This is the height of misuse of public resources since I have information that each and every delegate was paid Sh7,000. We want to know from whose account did this money come,” said Mohamed.
Suna West MP Joseph Ndiege said many key leaders chose to skip the delegation as it was hurriedly done without their input and that at the time of travelling, people from their constituencies were not picked.
“We were not involved in the arrangement and picking of the delegation. What we know is that county government had their personal plans to visit State House and not to apologise. It is now clear that national leaders are being sidelined in the affairs of the county,” said Mr Ndiege.
But Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo said there is no reason why the leaders should apologise. “There was no crime that committed in Migori and there is no reason for apologies,” he said.
UNPOPULAR LEADERS
Midiwo blamed the President for neglecting elected leaders in Nyanza and choosing to work with unpopular leaders like Obado and Rongo MP Dalmas Otieno.
“Obado is taking his people for a ride and disrespecting them. He is unkind to them and does not appreciate that Migori people voted him into office,” Midiwo said.
Kisumu West MP Olago Aluoch said: “Apology is a personal responsibility and not a community affair. Those who heckled should apologise. Those who have gone to State House did so for their personal interests.”
Kisumu East MP Shakeel Shabbir said every Kenyan has a right to visit State House but Migori leaders shouldn’t pretend to represent the larger Nyanza.
