Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparnya has dismissed the Amani National Congress threats of boycotting President Uhuru Kenyatta’s visit to the Western region on Monday next week. Last week, Lugari MP Ayub Savula who is Musalia Mudavadi’s deputy leader in ANC warned they were ready to skip the visit for not being involved in the planning and organising of the tour.
”As ANC, if they will not involve our party leader, we will boycott the tour. Uhuru must call MPs and engage us accordingly on his mission to Western. This being a tour of the head of national government, the county bosses should keep off. We are particularly disturbed by the fact that the said tour is being coordinated by a deputy party leader of our political competitor,” Lugari MP Ayub Savula said last week.
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Last Thursday, Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa led a delegation of leaders from the Western region, comprising five governors to meet the President at State House in Mombasa, where they discussed next week’s visit and what residents of the region expect. Wilber Ottichi (Vihiga), Sospeter Ojaamong (Busia), Patrick Khaemba (Trans Nzoia), and Wycliffe Wangamati (Bungoma) were in attendance.
However, speaking yesterday in Kakamega, Oparanya who is also the Deputy leader in ODM dismissed those threatening to skip the president’s visit saying the Head of State’s itinerary was specifically being handled by the national government.
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”This tour is for the benefit of the residents. I will involve all the leaders because it has no political inclinations. We could not bring all the leaders together to go and approach the President. We approached him as governors to request him to plan and visit our region. Now that he has agreed, we shall call all leaders to sit together so that we plan how we shall host the Head of State,” he explained.
While in Western Kenya, President Uhuru is expected to commission the construction of a 100M gold refinery factory in Ikolomani as well as constructing a 50M granite factory in Vihiga.