President Uhuru Kenyatta met with Western Kenya leaders as well as the Wiper party leader for talks on development and the “building bridges” initiative.
Honourable Kalonzo Musyoka of Wiper Party Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula attended the meeting which was also attended by current governors, senators and MPs from the Western region.
Some of the prominent persons present were former Vice-President Moody Awori, former Speaker of the National Assembly Kenneth Marende, former presidential candidate Cyrus Jirongo and two current MPs from Nairobi, Tim Wanyonyi (Westlands) and George Aladwa (Makadara).
Nasa co-principal and Amani National Congress party leader Musalia Mudavadi skipped the event but sent his apologies through Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula.
The talks with the President focused on the road map for the realisation of the ‘Big Four’ agenda, the heightened fight against corruption and the building bridges initiative, causes which the leaders pledged to support, a statement from State House said.
The revival of sugar companies in Western Kenya topped the agenda with President Kenyatta giving a one month deadline to a team working on a revival plan for Mumias and Nzoia sugar mills to complete their assignment and present the way forward.
“I am certain that within one month, we shall have the way forward on how to revamp the sector and where to invest more money,” the President said, adding that the government cannot continue pumping more money to dysfunctional companies unless they are revived.
Noting that corruption and mismanagement were to blame for the current woes facing the local sugar industry, President Kenyatta was optimistic that the report on the revival of the sugar sector will provide a clear roadmap to move the sector forward while benefiting sugarcane farmers.
Mr Wetangula called for a firm government policy that checks on imported maize and sugar to ensure cheap imports do not destabilise local production.
Wiper Party leaders pledged to fully support the President’s ‘Building Bridges Initiative’ which seeks to unite all Kenyans.
In a separate meeting with the President, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka revealed that the party leadership had passed a resolution to work with the government.
Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr said Kenyans fully appreciate the government’s development agenda as illustrated in the ‘Big Four’ agenda, particularly efforts being made towards the realisation of Universal Health Coverage.