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I am not a tribalist - Finance minister
- Details
- Published on Saturday, 07 July 2007 08:21
"I have a right to seek political protection in my community because I am a son of the soil and if I die it is the same community that will bury me," Mr. Nyachae said. He said
he was not a tribalist as alleged by his detractors "because a national leader without grassroots support is no leader".
Mr. Nyachae was responding to sentiments expressed by a section of businessmen from the community that he had reduced himself to a tribal leader who drummed up ethnic sympathy whenever he was in trouble. He said his ambitions were healthy since nobody knows his political destiny except God.
Earlier, Kisii leaders backed the minister against his political detractors. The leaders included Assistant Minister for Technical Training Mr. Joseph Kiangoi, politicians Dr Erineo Nyakiba, Walter Nyambati, Tom Sagwe, and 30 civic leaders from both the county and town councils led by their respective chairmen.
Mr. Kiangoi said it was time trivial political differences among Kisii politicians ended for the sake of development in the area. "It is time old wounds were healed because it would be too late to get a share of the national cake if we devote our energy to trivial personal political differences," the MP for North Mugirangu said.
Dr Nyakiba and Mr. Nyambati said time was ripe for the community's leaders to have a political stand if they were to benefit from the Government. The Nyamira leaders vowed to rally behind Finance Minister and protect him against his political detractors.
They asked Kisii leaders who might have differed with the minister in the past to patch up their personal differences and unite for the sake of strengthening the community's political bargaining power nationally. They were speaking during a funds- drive in aid of Kanyona Redeemed Gospel Church in Ekerenyo division of Nyamira district where the minister helped raise Sh686,890.
Mr. Nyachae donated Shs310,000, which included Sh20,000 from the Local Government Minister Prof Sam Ongeri, Sh10,000 each from West Mugirangu MP, Henry Obwocha and a Nakuru businessman Geoffrey Asanyo. The area MP, Mr. Kiangoi, gave Sh30,000, and he church Sh40,000 through Rev Wilson Mamboleo.
