Ekuru Aukot blames Raila and company for frustrating Punguza Mizigo campaign
Thirdway Alliance Kenya party leader Ekuru Aukot has hit out at politicians opposed to his Punguza Mizigo Bill accusing them of being behind the petition that has resulted in the stop of debate of the Bill.
Aukot made the remarks even as the High Court stopped the 47 county assemblies across the country from debating and approving a Bill fronted by Thirdway Alliance Kenya party, popularly known as Punguza Mizigo.
Justice James Makau also stopped the party from presenting the Bill to the Speaker of the National Assembly, pending a case filed in court against it.
The judge said the orders will remain in force for 14 days as other parties named in the petition file their responses.
Thirdway Alliance, through Elias Mutuma protested the move, saying they were only given less than a day to file their response.
But while speaking at Nairobi County Assembly on Wednesday, where he had gone to popularize the Bill to the City MCAs, Dr Aukot blamed ODM party leader Raila Odinga, Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, FORD Kenya boss Moses Wetangula and National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale of being behind his woes at the corridors of justice.
GREEDY POLITICIANS
He accused the four, whom he said have been on record telling Kenyans to reject Punguza Mizigo, of undermining devolution by opposing increased resources and funding to the wards and working with “a wolf” in the courts of law to frustrate the pro-people initiative by sponsoring the “frivolous” petitions before court.
“We are now more than convinced that they are the sponsors of the frivolous petitions against the Bill in court. The way we see it, the political hunter gatherers are now working with a wolf in the courts of law to frustrate the pro-people initiative.
“The wolf in the corridors of justice is clearly holding brief for the greedy political class and is using and abusing his judicial authority to drive political agenda in a court of law,” added Dr Aukot.
However, the Kamukunji with the MCAs was snubbed by ODM ward representatives arguing that their party’s position on the Bill is clear and that is: the party is against the initiative.
The Thirdway Alliance party boss called on the senior politicians to stop playing politics with the lives of Kenyans by turning the initiative into a political competition wondering if they are beneficiaries of theft of public money that the Bill is proposing to end.
PLAYING POLITICS
He called on the DCI and ODPP to initiate investigations against Mr Duale and eventually prosecute him over his threats to MCAs, an action he termed criminal in nature.
“To Raila, Kalonzo, Wetangula, Duale and company, I have a message for you all: stop undermining initiatives that are meant to uplift the lives of all Kenyans. This is not a political competition. You need to stop playing politics with the lives of Kenyans. If it is politics, we shall play it in 2022. For now it’s just about Wanjiku and how to lessen the burden on her,” he said.
He said that the Punguza Mizigo Bill has complied with the provisions of Article 257 relating to popular initiative and central to the bill, amongst other things, is the need to strengthen devolution by taking services to peoples’ very doorsteps through the wards as well as to end theft of public money.
He explained that the initiative is proposing to equalize Kenyans from all walks of lives by taking development and services to their doorsteps in the villages and wards as this will ensure that every Kenyan enjoys services equitably thereby lessening the political tensions and even competition.
“The opponents of the Bill are worried because we seek to end the suffering of the common woman and man in Kenya; as well as end corruption. Kenyans must now stand together and reject leaders who are using them as voting machines and only to abandon them at the opportune time. People of Kenya need development not selfish politics,” said Dr Aukot.
Additional reporting by Sam Kiplagat