By The Anchor Reporter
KEY Ukambani leaders kept off an Inaugural meeting of Ukambani professionals on Thursday evening this week.
The meeting was called by Foregn and Diaspora Affairs CS Dr Alfred Mutua.
Mutua used a proxy to sent invitations through sms and letters to governors, former governors , current and former MPs to a meeting at KICC whose undisclosed agenda was to be tabled during the meeting.
The leaders who honoured the inviteme included Kenya’s National Security Advisor Dr Monica Juma, MPs Mwengi Mutuse,Caleb Mule, Nimrod Mbai , Rachael Kaki Nyamai, Joshua Mwalyo, Fabian Mule, and Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Chairperson Rahab Muiu. CS Tourism & Wildlife Peninah Malonza joined the meeting online and spoke to the gathering.
In attendance too were senior and prominent political leaders and professionals.
It transpires, according to Dr. Mutua, that on Monday, March 20, 2023, six unnamed MPs from Makueni, Kitui and Machakos called on him in his office.
They discused many global, regional, national and community issues that are contributors to our overall socio-economic outlook.
It was as they tackled community issues that the legislators allegedly requested him to convene a meeting of professionals and leaders from Ukambani to deliberate on the communities interests and alignment in the new political and government dispensation.
Though no explanation was forthcoming, the absence of key kamba leaders such as Governors Mutula Kilonzo,Wavinya Ndeti and Dr. Julius Malombe, coupled with UDA founding Chairman Johnson Muthama stood out like a war cry.
Needless to say, Kamba Kingpin Kalonzo Musyoka was certainly not expected as was Charity Ngilu.
The overriding unasked question was who is Dr Alfred Mutua to summon an assembly of the Akamba people?
Be that as it may, the meeting exposed growing fissures in the Kamba body politic, displaying the widening gap among the leaders to a level that puts great doubt that Kamba unity would ever be realised.
A brief posted by Dr Mutua on his Facebook page says the meeting did not discuss political parties, affiliations, leanings, individuals, groupings or such divisive issues.
Dr Mutua sees such discussions as "mostly “useless” topics.
Rather, the meeting attempted to concentrate on asking the major question: how is the region and where is it going in terms of development programs, economic empowerment, lobbying for jobs, business opportunities and overall future outlook?
But in the resolutions passed, it was clear that Dr Mutua was positioning himself as a viable Kamba kingpin and trashed the Azimio leadership where Kalonzo plays big.
The following were the resolutions from the meeting;
1. We either unite and forge forward as a
people or we will never rise from poverty and suffering.
2. The Professionals will join elected and other national leaders in forging a movement that is politics free but one that will galvanize our people towards achieving rapid development in the region.
3. Ukambani has to position itself to benefit from the goodwill by President William Ruto’s government. The region is grateful for the appointment of its children to various government positions and will lobby for more.
4. All leaders will be judged by their attitude towards unity and also what they achieve for our people. Decisive and greedy leaders will be shunned and announced as such.
5. The people of Ukambani do not agree with demonstrations at a time when we have many challenges (Ndutheela Ng’ombe uukama).
6. The need to support Ukambani business people through investment programs, tenders and empowerment.
7. Ukambani challenges of lack of sufficient water, agriculture, unemployment, roads, healthcare etc are known and well documented, therefore this is the time to discuss and implement solutions.
8. The need to levarage and activate Ukambani Profesionals networks to open doors to business opportunities and jobs for the youth in both public and private sectors.
9. The need to actively revive the cotton and coffee industries in Ukambani with leaders championing the building and growing of 'our' own economy.
10. We need to focus on the growth of our education institutions right from the basic level to tertiary levels. All professionals agreed that they would actively be involved.
11. The leadership would champion for the interests of its people in areas where minerals are known to exist and in areas with new discoveries.
12. The leadership of Ukambani to lobby for additional constituencies and counties in the upcoming Boundaries review.
13. That Kamba professionals in Nairobi city should seek elective seats in Nairobi given the number of our region’s people working in the county.
14. The leaders and professionals to educate the people and ensure that they benefit from green energy and carbon credits.
15. Lastly, map out Ukambani for the welfare of our people.
No one will be left out and no leader present and former will be attacked or vilified. All our leaders have banded together are playing a role in our region. The culture of pulling each other down and divisive and personalized attacks have no place in the present reality and future of our people.
In the end, a subcommittee with representatives from all over the region and fields was set up to discuss modalities, concretize the issues and plan the next meeting.
