ODM leader Raila Odinga has dared rebel MPs from Kilifi County resign and seek re-election through other parties.
He said if the MPs from Kilifi have shifted their loyalty to other parties, they should resign and seek fresh mandate through political parties of their choice.
“We should practise the politics of principles. When you have differed with your party, you resign and seek re-election using another party. That is what I did in 1997,” said Raila.
He accused the MPs of practising politics of hypocrisy and undermining the principle of multi-party democracy.
Raila called for the strengthening of the Political Parties act to deal with party rebels and bring party discipline.
The former PM wondered why ODM MPs celebrating the party’s loss in Msambweni have refused to resign and seek fresh mandate through the other parties.
Several MPs elected on ODM in Kilifi led by Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa and his Kilifi South counterpart Owen Baya are associated with Deputy President William Ruto.
The former Prime Minister was yesterday in Watamu to meet the newly-elected Dabaso Ward Rep Dickson Karani who won the seat on the ODM ticket. He also drummed up support for the BBI.
“Here in Dabaso ward ODM had a convincing victory contrary to what happened in Msambweni, unfortunately, nobody is talking about this victory,” he said.
Yesterday Deputy President Willaim Ruto was also in Msambweni to celebrate the win of Independent candidate Mr Feisal Bader’s in the December 15 by-election.
Raila reiterated that ODM will review its growth in Kilifi with an aim to strengthen it ahead of the 2022 General Election.
He also criticised Kilifi leaders as opposed to the Building Bridge Initiative (BBI) report and urged locals to back the report for better governance.
Lands and Physical Planning CAS Gideon Mungáro cautioned residents against leaders opposed to BBI, saying they feared the corruption clauses in the report.
“BBI is not being opposed because it is bad but those against it are opposing it because of the clauses that will deal with corrupt leaders and bar them from contesting political seats,” he said.
Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire and Kilifi Senator Stewards Madzayo said that all the 35 elected MPs in the Coast region were involved in the drafting of recommendations that were captured in the final BBI report and that those against the draft fears the graft clauses.
“They wanted us to remove the corruption clauses that are why they are opposed to the report and they feel like they are culprits,” said Mwambire.
The report seeks to amend the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, No. 3 of 2003 and to enhance the penalty for economic crimes and corruption offences.
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