Anne Mumbi: Lone ranger Aukot is arrogant

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Mumbi has taken a swipe at Thirdway Alliance Party of Kenya leader, Dr Ekuru Aukot, after his Punguza Mizigo project flopped after it failed to get approval in at least 24 out of Kenya’s 47 counties.

In mid-July 2019, IEBC announced that Aukot had successfully managed to get at least one million signatures from Kenyans, and, therefore, enabling his bill to be debated in the 47 county assemblies.

The bill, however, died by Wednesday, October 16, after 31 out of the 47 county assemblies, in which it was presented, rejected Aukot’s push.

That meant, the bill couldn’t qualify for debate in the National Assembly.

The MCAs, who shot down Aukot’s bill, said it was populist, unrealistic and retrogressive on the gains made on women empowerment after the 2010 Constitution was adopted.

Among other proposals, the bill proposed to reduce the number of MPs to 147 in a bid to reduce the leaders’ wage burden on Kenyans.

For Aukot’s bill to succeed, it needed support from ward representatives in at least 24 regional assemblies, but only Uasin Gishu County voted in favour of it.

Aukot has repeatedly accused the “big” political players of bribing, and even intimidating MCAs to reject the bill.

And now, Kirinyaga county chief, Anne Mumbi, says the failure of Aukot’s bill was inevitable because “he was too arrogant to listen to other people’s views”.

“Aukot is an arrogant lone ranger, who refused to read the mood of Kenyans,” the governor said while addressing journalists in Kirinyaga on Thursday, October 17.

Kajiado, Nyandarua, Kilifi, Trans-Nzoia, Garissa, Nandi, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Kericho, Kisumu, Meru, Tana River, Busia, Nairobi, Kiambu, Siaya, Nakuru, Murang’a, Kakamega, Kisii, Kirinyaga, Nyamira, Makueni, Nyeri, Mandera, Lamu, and Homa Bay were the counties that rejected Aukot’s campaign.