Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba has denied rejecting Busia Governor Sosepeter Ojaamong’s contribution during a fundraiser for St. Benedict’s Secondary School last Friday.
Former MP Raphael Wanjala, lawyer Leonard Okanda, Teso elder Cleophas Okisai and Constastine Obuya accused Namwamba of “rallying youths” to reject the governor’s contribution.
Obuya said she was sent by the governor, but Namwamba led the youth in rejecting the cash. “The MP himself said they did not need the money,” She told the Star on the phone yesterday.
Wanjala accused Namwamba of buying youths to heckle speakers during public functions. “On behalf of Budalang’i residents, I take this opportunity to apologise to the governor,” he said.
Okanda said it was a disgrace for the MP to reject the money. He added political differences must not bar development. “We must condemn this immature, undemocratic and retrogressive behaviour,” he said.
Okisai said no one is bigger than Busia. He urged Namwamba and St Benedict’s Secondary School’s management committee to apologise for belittling the governor.
But Namwamba said that was propaganda spread by “clueless characters who have no moral authority over anything”. He said the function was not a fundraiser and he did not preside over it.
“The guest of honour was Education CS Fred Matiang’i, whom I personally invited. He was accompanied by former CIC chairman Charles Nyachae and MP Richard Tongi,” he said.
The ODM rebel MP told Ojaamong to give the school “serious funds, instead of hiding behind meaningless crybabies”. He said the governor has failed to honour his two-year-old promise and was, instead, “sending little pennies of stolen county funds”.