By Courtesy/ Speaker’s Press Unit
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has cautioned the Abagusii community against clinging to “outdated tribal and kingpin politics,” warning that such divisions risk isolating them from the rest of the country.
Speaking on Thursday during a women’s empowerment programme in Bugusero Ward, Kitutu Chache South Constituency, Kisii County, Wetang’ula urged residents to embrace unity and inclusivity, even as one of their own aspires to contest for the presidency.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i, who hails from the region, has already declared his presidential bid for the 2027 elections, joining the growing list of hopefuls seeking to unseat President William Ruto.
“I want to beseech the Abagusii community not to fall into the trap of segregating yourselves from the rest of Kenyan communities. That kind of politics has no place in modern Kenya,” said the Speaker.
He emphasized that Kenya’s identity transcends ethnicity: “From the coastal towns to the Uganda border, from Ethiopia to Tanzania, everybody has a right to be proud to be Kenyan.”
Wetang’ula hailed the Abagusii as a hardworking community that has spread across the country and integrated seamlessly with other Kenyans.
He cited examples from his home county of Bungoma, where more than 1,200 members of the community live and work.
“During elections, none of their votes go to waste. Even my immediate neighbour, Momanyi, always rallies them and tells me: whichever political decision you make, we shall follow you because we live together as one,” he said.
He added that in Trans Nzoia County alone, the community commands nearly 19,000 votes from families engaged in farming.
“They have settled there, and in every election, we stand together and support one another,” he remarked.
The Speaker urged all Kenyans to extend the same spirit of togetherness to non-locals living in their regions. “If you live in Kisii County and you are from other parts of the country, stand together and support one another, because that is the Kenya we want,” he said.
Turning to the performance of the Kenya Kwanza administration, Wetang’ula praised President William Ruto for reversing what he termed a decline during the final years of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government.
“Before President Ruto took over, road projects had stalled, our schools lacked sufficient teachers, and the cost of fertilizer had risen to alarming levels.
But in just three years, the President has reduced fertilizer prices from KSh6,000 to KSh2,500 and employed over 100,000 teachers,” he said.
He noted that 76,000 teachers had been hired in the past two financial years, with an additional 24,000 expected this year.
“This will bring the total to 100,000 teachers. In previous administrations, they used to employ only 3,000 to 6,000 teachers annually. That is the progress Kenyans wanted,” he stated.
Wetang’ula further praised President Ruto as a unifying leader who has ensured inclusivity in government appointments.
He pointed to the appointment of Education Cabinet Secretary Migos Ogamba, a son of the Abagusii community, as proof of the President’s commitment to regional balance.
“Despite the many challenges in the education sector from lecturers’ strikes to frequent industrial action by unions like KNUT and KUPPET, CS Ogamba has managed to steady the ship. We salute him as a hardworking son of this soil who is helping move Kenya forward,” Wetang’ula said.
The Speaker expressed confidence in the government’s trajectory and called on Kenyans to rally behind President Ruto’s development agenda.
“Chanda chema uvishwa pete,” he said, invoking a Swahili proverb. “We elected President Ruto when the country was in a deplorable state. Today, we are seeing progress: we are building affordable houses, constructing markets, employing teachers, and reviving stalled road projects. Such a leader is not one to be chased away, but one to be supported.”
Wetang’ula underscored that the President’s development initiatives were being felt across the country from the Coast, North Eastern, Western, Ukambani, West Pokot, Nyanza, Turkana, and throughout the Rift Valley.
He urged the Abagusii community and Kenyans at large to stand with President Ruto for a second term.
At the same time, the Speaker censured Kitutu Chache South MP Anthony Kibagendi, a vocal critic of the President, accusing him of disrespecting the Head of State through abusive and derogatory language.
“No legislator was elected to hurl insults,” Wetang’ula declared, condemning what he termed a toxic brand of politics. “We have said it before and I will repeat: the politics of anger, abuse, boastfulness, and tribalism has no place in modern Kenya.”
He reminded MPs that their role is to legislate, represent, and oversee government not to serve as “youth wingers of political kingpins.” Leaders who engage in insults, he warned, risk denying their constituencies access to critical national resources.
“If your work is hurling insults, whoever is responsible for distributing national resources may simply say, ‘set aside that portion for someone else.’ For you who is abusive, you will be left to eat your insults,” he said.
Wetang’ula urged Kenyans to put national interest above personal or political grudges and to respect one another across communities and regions.
“Be proud to be Kenyan. Be proud to live and do business anywhere in this country. What you like, I like; what you want, I want. If you are being assisted, I too want to be assisted,” he said.
To drive the point home, he cited the recent political détente between Opposition leader Raila Odinga and President Ruto, who were once fierce rivals in the 2022 general election.
“If Raila Odinga and President Ruto can work together after such a hard-fought contest, then anything is possible in this country,” he observed.
Addressing the youth directly, the Speaker used a blunt metaphor: “When you are pursuing a girl and she chooses another man, do you beat him up? No. You accept it and move on.”
He urged young people to channel their energy into constructive pursuits that build national unity rather than personal attacks and political animosity.