Officials Praise Mudavadi for Pushing State Appointments for Mulembe Nation

BY Wakhungu Andanje

As the country leadership plans to traverse Malava constituency this weekend ahead of the coming by-election, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has been named as the force behind appointments of leaders from Mulembe nation.

Higher Education Principal Secretary Dr. Beatrice Inyangala and the Chancellor of Co-operative University of Kenya Dr. Benard Chitunga have come out to openly disclose that it was Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi who pushed for their appointments to the senior public positions they currently occupy.

The two have opened up on how Musalia Mudavadi personally introduced them to President William Ruto and argued their case before they were later considered for their various appointments.

The two leaders while meeting a delegation from Kabras who had paid to the prime cabinet secretary railway headquarters where 29 clans of the Kabras subtribe in Malava,made separately made the revelations to the group of clan leaders.

The Principal Secretary who physically attended the events and addressed the elders directly while Chitunga who is based in China communicated to the delegation via a mobile phone telling them how Musalia took them to the president and highly introduced them and their potentiality.

Dr. Inyangala and Dr. Chitunga are only two of the appointees from Malava in the Ruto administration while former Kakamega Deputy Governor Prof Philip Museve Kutima who was last week named as the chairman of the council of Embu university, Joseph Ngaira Busiega, the chief of staff in the office of the Prime cabinet secretary and Immaculate Shamala (board director at the Insurance regulatory authority).

Simon Muyumba Indimuli (the secretary of state corporations advisory committee) and Joshua Asembo Shitikho, Mudavadi’s personal assistant adds to the list of Musalia appointment.

At the consultative meeting with the Kabras elders, which was also attended by Vihiga Woman Representative Dr. Beatrice Adagala, Shinyalu MP Fred Ikana and United Democratic Alliance (UDA) vice-chairman Kelvin Lunani and educationist Pamela Benchi-Mukabana.

Dr. Inyangala and Dr. Chitunga disclosed that they owe their individual appointments to Musalia Mudavadi and that his push to have them considered for the position should not be taken for granted. Dr. Inyangala contested in the 2022 general election as the running-mate of former Senator Cleophas Malalah for the Kakamega gubernatorial seat on Amani national congress (ANC) party ticket, an affiliate of the Kenya Kwanza Alliance but lost to Orange democratic movement (ODM)’s Fernandez Barasa being deputized by Ayub Angatia Savula.

She told the elders that President Ruto did not know her prior to her appointment and that had it not been for Mudavadi, she could not have landed her current position.

“I thank his excellency, the prime cabinet secretary, Hon. Musalia Mudavadi for holding my hand. President Ruto did not know me personally.

It was Hon. Mudavadi who held my hand and got me appointed to this position and I would not be where I am today if he did not identify and present me, and he has stood with me all through,” she told the over 100 elders present.

On his part, Dr. Chitunga, speaking from Beijing, thanked the people of Malava for standing with him when he lost his father two months ago and asked them to ensure that Malava experiences tranquility during the forthcoming by-election occasioned by the death of then Member of Parliament Moses Injendi Malulu in February this year.

“I would like to thank his excellency the prime cabinet secretary Musalia Mudavadi for giving me support. I am just a village boy. In fact, his excellency President William Ruto did not know me,” he said.

"It was Hon. Mudavadi who took me to the President and introduced me before proposing me for the position I now hold as chancellor of Co-operative university of Kenya."

He said he was just a young man whom the President has trusted with this enormous responsibility. 

“I thank the prime cabinet secretary for believing in me and standing with me on this journey. I promise to deliver to my best,” Dr. Chitunga stated.

The elders had paid Mudavadi a courtesy call for consultations ahead of the forthcoming by-election considering that the Late Malava Mp Malulu Injendi won the seat on an ANC ticket.

During the consultative meeting, the clan elders led by chairperson Alphonce Masinde and secretary general Harrison Webbo Tanga, presented a memorandum to the PCS requesting for the completion of stalled projects following Malulu’s demise.

The projects include completion of the Malava-Ikoli and Malava-Samitsi roads, the ongoing Namanja and Sikhuyu water projects, the construction of student hostels at Shamberere National Polytechnic, completion of Malava Medical Training College and commissioning of Kabras West Sub-County headquarters (which was done yesterday).

The elders also called for the gazettement and staffing of the newly created administrative units in East and West Kabras constituencies.

They include Chesero and Shivanga Divisions, Nguvuli Location, and sub-locations such as Mukhuyu and Shivagala in East Kabras; as well as Shirugu/Mugai Division, Chevoso and Shikutse Locations, and Indulusia and Bukhakunga Sub-Locations in Kabras West.

Declaring himself as the Patron of the constituency in the period that it shall be without an elected MP, Mudavadi told the delegation that the government will swiftly attend to the issues raised.

He told the elders to ensure that the people of Malava elect a visionary leader who will support the government of the day and can unite the constituents in the same manner that Malulu did.

Mudavadi said he would not vouch for any particular aspirant but would wait for the Kenya Kwanza supporters to pick a suitable UDA candidate for whom he and other honchos from the ruling coalition would back to clinch the seat.

Higher education principal secretary Dr.Beatrice Inyangala left with the new chancellor of cooperative university of Kenya Dr.Benard Chitunga whose appointments has been orchestrated by Prime cabinet secretary Musalia Mudavadi

He argued that whoever shall be elected as the next MP for Malava would be a son or daughter of Kabras and therefore there is need to safeguard peace and tolerance and ensure that the electioneering exercise is conducted without an iota of violence. 

The late Malulu was elected on the ticket of ANC, then headed by Mudavadi as its Party Leader. Upon his appointment to the cabinet, Mudavadi relinquished the party’s leadership to Lamu Governor Issa Timamy.

However, ANC has since wound up and merged with President William Ruto’s UDA under the Kenya Kwanza Alliance.

Kenya Kwanza has yet to identify its candidate with five aspirants still battling for its ticket. They are retired school principal Dr. Enock Andanje, Malulu’s son Ryan Injendi, ex-Kivaywa high School Principal Simon Kangwana, West Kabras Member of county assembly (MCA) David Ndakwa and advocate Leonard Shimaka. 

Kenya Kwanza will face competition from the democracy for citizens party (DCP) led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that has picked lawyer Edgar Busiega Mwanga as its candidate and Roots Party of lawyer George Wajackoyah which has settled on management consultant Caleb Sunguti.

The democratic alliance party of Kenya (DAP-K) associated with former defense Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa and Trans-Nzoia governor George Natembeya has bagged the Kenya national union of nurses (KNUN) secretary -general Seth Panyako whereas the United democratic party (UDP) of former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo has identified one Samuel Tsimbelwa Wesukari as its flag-bearer.