Uhuru addressed the matter on Tuesday, December 30, while speaking during the burial of former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo in Kakamega.
His remarks came amid rising tensions within ODM, with some leaders accusing him of interfering in the party’s affairs.
Although he did not mention ODM directly, the timing and tone of his speech left little doubt about who he was responding to.
The former head of state appeared visibly frustrated by the accusations, saying they were being pushed by leaders who were trying to shift blame instead of taking responsibility for their political failures.
Uhuru urged politicians to stop trading accusations and instead concentrate on strengthening their parties from the grassroots.
“Leaders should stop wasting time pointing fingers at others. Go to the people, talk to them, organise yourselves and build strong parties,” he said.
He challenged leaders to follow the example of the late Cyrus Jirongo, whom he described as bold, independent, and committed to building his own political path rather than blaming others.
The retired president also spoke about unity in Western Kenya, encouraging leaders from the region to engage in dialogue and agree on a shared political direction.
“As leaders from this region, you should sit down, talk, and agree on what you want. After that, you can engage other regions as Kenyans and decide the future of the country together,” Uhuru said.
However, he cautioned that political realignments and regional unity should not be used to weaken Kenya’s multiparty democracy.
“Unity should never come at the cost of killing multiparty democracy. That is something we must protect at all times,” he warned.
Uhuru further clarified that supporting individuals within political parties does not amount to an attempt to control or hijack those parties.
He suggested that politicians spreading such claims were doing so out of frustration after failing to win support where they expected it.
“When someone fails to convince people, they start looking for excuses. They say people are not listening because of someone else. That kind of thinking takes us nowhere,” he said.
In a rare sharp warning, Uhuru told critics not to provoke him despite his retired status.
“I am retired, yes. But retirement does not mean you poke someone in the eye and expect no response. Respect must go both ways,” he said, drawing applause from mourners.
Although he did not mention ODM directly, the timing and tone of his speech left little doubt about who he was responding to.
The former head of state appeared visibly frustrated by the accusations, saying they were being pushed by leaders who were trying to shift blame instead of taking responsibility for their political failures.
Uhuru urged politicians to stop trading accusations and instead concentrate on strengthening their parties from the grassroots.
“Leaders should stop wasting time pointing fingers at others. Go to the people, talk to them, organise yourselves and build strong parties,” he said.
He challenged leaders to follow the example of the late Cyrus Jirongo, whom he described as bold, independent, and committed to building his own political path rather than blaming others.
The retired president also spoke about unity in Western Kenya, encouraging leaders from the region to engage in dialogue and agree on a shared political direction.
“As leaders from this region, you should sit down, talk, and agree on what you want. After that, you can engage other regions as Kenyans and decide the future of the country together,” Uhuru said.
However, he cautioned that political realignments and regional unity should not be used to weaken Kenya’s multiparty democracy.
“Unity should never come at the cost of killing multiparty democracy. That is something we must protect at all times,” he warned.
Uhuru further clarified that supporting individuals within political parties does not amount to an attempt to control or hijack those parties.
He suggested that politicians spreading such claims were doing so out of frustration after failing to win support where they expected it.
“When someone fails to convince people, they start looking for excuses. They say people are not listening because of someone else. That kind of thinking takes us nowhere,” he said.
In a rare sharp warning, Uhuru told critics not to provoke him despite his retired status.
“I am retired, yes. But retirement does not mean you poke someone in the eye and expect no response. Respect must go both ways,” he said, drawing applause from mourners.
Hello, my name is Yoruba. I'm a 25 year old self-employed blogger from the Africa.
No comments:
Post a Comment