Vihiga Senator explains why he missed Ruto's tour in Vihiga

By Robert Mutasi 

Senator Godfrey Osotsi of Vihiga has chosen to disregard President William Ruto's visit to the county, characterizing it as a political maneuver by the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) rather than a genuine development initiative.

Osotsi criticized the President's visit as a desperate effort to revive the UDA's standing and its affiliates in Vihiga County, while sidelining leaders of Azimio La Umoja in the region.

“This is particularly pertinent given the inability of UDA to deliver on electoral pledges coupled with punitive taxation and high cost of living, causing disenchantment among Vihiga County residents and the wider Kenyan populace,” he said.

Osotsi highlighted the UDA's failure to fulfill electoral promises, along with burdensome taxes and a high cost of living, which he believes have led to dissatisfaction among residents of Vihiga County and the broader Kenyan public.

“This omission affirmed that the event was a UDA Party affair and representatives from the Kenya Kwanza coalition, devoid of genuine governmental or developmental intentions, contrary to the impression presented to Vihiga County residents,” Osotsi stated.

The Senator from Vihiga expressed his disappointment at not being invited or involved in any of the preliminary planning meetings for the tour, confirming his belief that the event was purely a UDA Party affair, lacking any sincere governmental or developmental objectives.

“This absence of feedback has majorly been compounded by the assertions by key UDA leaders that some Kenyans are not shareholders despite being taxpayers,” he said.

Osotsi also expressed frustration over the lack of feedback or progress reports on development initiatives discussed with key government officials in January 2023, despite extensive discussions held by the elected leaders of Vihiga County.

He further criticized key UDA leaders for their claims that some Kenyans, despite being taxpayers, are not stakeholders.

Osotsi suggested that President Ruto's development tour was essentially political posturing intended to deceive the residents of Vihiga County. He noted that many of the projects had already been launched by President Ruto during his time as Deputy President, or by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

President Ruto is set to conclude his five-day tour in the Western region in Vihiga County today.

Musalia Mudavadi, the Prime Cabinet Secretary, had previously warned leaders who oppose the government, alerting them to the possibility of being left out of government-backed development initiatives.