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Leaders chastise Moi over Nyachae criticism
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- Published on Saturday, 07 July 2007 23:41
On Monday, the Head of State told a rally in Kisii that Mr. Nyachae was impatient for leadership. President Moi, who was on a tour of the area, also said the Nyaribari-Chache MP had failed to ensure completion of the Kisii-Chemosit road. The project has been under construction for the last 25 years. Yesterday, the South Mugirango MP, Mr. Enock Magara, said President Moi deserved the heckling and hostile reception he received in Kisii because the "visit was not genuine". The MP said the President did not go to the district to assess the malaria situation as he had stated but had "a hidden political agenda".
"His criticism of Kisii leaders will not stop the community from actualising its political destiny!" Mr. Magara said. Instead of fostering goodwill and concern for the people of Kisii, Mr. Magara said, the visit had a negative impact on the community as many malaria patients were discharged from hospitals prematurely to give President Moi the impression that the epidemic had been contained.
Mr. Magara, who was among six MPs from the area who did not join the Presidential tour, said armed security men were stationed at the Kisii District Hospital to ensure the discharged patients did not make their way back. Mr. Magara, who boycotted the tour claiming that the reasons given for it were "fake", accused the Kisii medical officer of acted unprofessionally by de-congesting the hospital through indiscriminate discharge of patients.
West Mugirango MP Henry Obwocha claimed that a man from Bobaracho near Kisii Town died soon after he was discharged from the hospital, a day before the President's visit. Mr. Nyachae's son Charles, a city advocate, told the President to stop misusing state organs to suppress legitimate criticism of his style of governance. Mr. Charles Ayuko Nyachae said he was concerned for his father's safety in view of President Moi's directive that the administration and police arrest any politicians maligning his name.
The younger Nyachae said this was likely to be a basis of "something more sinister". Saying there was no law that criminalised "verbal abuse", Mr. Charles Nyachae said President Moi should not misuse the police and provincial administration but defend his record and that of the government 'politically." If the appointment of Prof Sam Ongeri amounts to development projects among the Abagusii, then it is a useless project, Mr. Obwocha of Ford-Kenya said yesterday. An angry Mr. Obwocha said the President should not blame Mr. Nyachae for the government's failure to complete the Kisii-Chemosit road. Tarmacking of the road began in 1968, he said, but Mr. Nyachae only became Finance Minister last year.
Mr. Obwocha, who was contributing to debate on the vote for the East African and Regional Co-operation, digressed to criticise the President despite House Speaker Francis Kaparo's warning that he would terminate the speech as it was irrelevant. He was angry that when President Moi visited Kisii Hospital all, but one, of the malaria patients were removed so that the President could "prove" the media reports on malaria outbreak were wrong.
The Speaker warned that the House was not on a debate about Mr. Nyachae or Prof. Ongeri who is the Local Authorities Minister. However, Mr. Obwocha continued along the same line saying that he came to Parliament to tell the truth. He congratulated MPs who boycotted the president's Kisii trip DP deputy secretary general George Omari Nyamweya said the visit was aimed at antagonising Mr. Nyachae in his own home.
