Machakos, Kenya: Machakos County Senator Johnstone Muthama has threatened to quit CORD if it is not transformed into a single political party.
Mr Muthama said he will either quit politics or seek alternative political refuge, if the three top leaders of CORD will not dissolve the affiliate parties and form one powerful party to make a credible run in the 2017 elections.
Speaking in Mavoloni at a fundraiser in Yatta sub-county, Mr Muthama said he had laboured too much in trying to defend the movement leaving him with less energy to continue doing so.
”If the three top leaders, Raila, Kalonzo and Wetangula do not dissolve their parties and agree to form one united party, then I will have no choice but to ditch them and seek a safer political ground or completely quit politics” he said.
The senator said the CORD umbrella was just dividing Kenyans more than uniting them through the many parties affiliated to it.
”Time has come when the three top leaders should agree to give up their single parties and form one party that will symbolize more unity and unite the CORD fraternity to be able to win the 2017 general elections” he said.
Mr Muthama said it was impracticable for ODM, Wiper and FORD-Kenya to continue seeking parallel support from the different forty seven counties as this amounted to conflict of interest since all the three are under one umbrella.
In a quick rejoinder to the Senator’s sentiments, one of the arch political rivals Mr Thomasa Kasoa, the leader of minority in the Machakos county assembly whose party is an affiliate to Jubilee, welcomed Mr Muthama’s proposal and urged him to ditch CORD and join Jubilee.
”I sincerely buy his idea and plead with him to join Jubilee instead of quitting politics for better prosperity” he said adding that he would be welcomed and forgiven any past negative utterances he may have made against Jubilee.
However, the Deputy Governor Mr Bernard Kiala who accompanied him in the function urged Mr Muthama to vie for the national Wiper party chairmanship saying he was best placed.
”Having tirelessly sacrificed and defended the party for so long, we have no option but to endorse you for the position of the national party chairman” added Mr Kiala.
He said Mr Muthama was an exceptional leader in Machakos county and the entire lower Eastern region who has fought fearlessly for the welfare of the Kamba community at the expense of his resources, time and life and should be rewarded through the position of the Wiper party chairmanship.
