By TCD TEAM.
Hon Muluvi is a man for whom I have had great respect. For him to question my sincerity in pushing for the creation of Mwingi County is the most unfortunate thing to come from a man of his age and stature in society. But debate on the creation of Mwingi County is a lot more important than me and/or Hon Muluvi.
It is a debate about representation and resources for the great people of the great Kitui County. We must not cheapen this debate to achieve parochial political objectives in veiled attempts to revive dwindling political fortunes.
I didn’t know that Hon Muluvi has perfected the art of speaking from both sides of his mouth; he can’t say he supports the creation of Mwingi County and at the same time oppose my Bill.
Hon Muluvi can’t be allowed to create the misleading impression that he cares about the people of Kitui East more than I do because he doesn’t. He represented them in Parliament for five years; what did he do to resolve the injustice visited on the people of Kitui East who live in Kitui town but they access national government services from Zombe?
Did he even raise a statement on the floor of the National Assembly to correct that injustice?
When they elected him to the National Assembly, did he sponsor a Bill to correct the political injustice visited on these people by selfish leaders? If he did not do anything that time, he can’t now pretend to be the spokesman of the same people he led for five years under the said injustice.
My Bill is about the creation of Mwingi County (15A) and it has just been published and read a first time on the floor of the Senate.
To educate Hon Muluvi on basic Parliamentary legislative procedures, the draft Bill will be subjected to 90 days of public participation spearheaded by the Senate Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs. The committee will collect and collate views from interested parties to enrich the Bill.
I will MOVE the Bill in second reading during which time I will address the issue of the wards that Hon Muluvi is talking about.
It is unfortunate that Hon Muluvi has chosen to expose his ignorance of basic Parliamentary legislative procedures to seek political relevance from a Bill aimed at devolving more funds and better representation to our people.
But as I have said, we can’t afford to reduce this very important conversation to a difference of opinion between myself and Hon Muluvi.
Between me and him it is easy to see who is seeking cheap publicity. From my end I must state that I am not interested in age-old rhetoric about representation. Since 2017, I have been very consistent on the need for the creation of Mwingi County.
I want the best for our people. Period.
Enoch Kiio Wambua,
Senator, Kitui County.