COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli was endorsed on Sunday as the chief negotiator of the Luhya community in the 2022 general elections.
However not everybody is pleased with the endorsement including Kakamega senator Cleophas Malala.
The senator has rubbished the endorsement while saying that Atwoli is not a trustee to the of Western Kenya vote.
According to Malala, Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi remains the choice of Kenyans in politics.
He further said that the party presidential bid is not negotiable outside the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) framework.
“I want to tell the governors and their supporters who were hosted by Atwoli at the Golf Hotel and appointed him as the Luhya spokesman that if you are not a presidential candidate, you have no business meddling in political negotiation,” Malalah said.
He added that ANC expects 100 per cent support from western region to rally behind Mudavadi in the high stakes negotiation within the OKA framework and would not hesitate to deal with individuals threatening to sway the region’s chance to produce the fifth president.
Atwoli was endorsed in a meeting that was convened by Kakamega county Governor Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya, his Vihiga counterpart Wilber Ottichilllo together with Bungoma’s Wycliffe Wangamati, Busia governor Sospeter Ojamong’ and Patrick Khaemba of Trans Nzoia among other grass root leaders.
“We, therefore, resolve that Dr. Francis Atwoli shall coordinate and help the community negotiate our stakes and be part of the next government,” Ottichillo stated on Sunday.
Atwoli appreciated the leaders for entrusting him with the role of spearheading negotiations on behalf of the region.
“We have met here as a pro-handshake team to discuss the future for the community. We did not come here to discuss individuals. I thank Oparanya for hosting this meeting,” Atwoli said.
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