President Uhuru receives ODM defectors, Degodia elders from Wajir at State House

President Uhuru pose for a group photo with section of Wajir leaders and elders. (PPU)

NAIROBI—President Uhuru Kenyatta and the deputy president William Ruto have received two opposition legislators at the State House on Monday.

Eldas Member of Parliament Aden Keynan and his Tarbaj counterpart Mohamed Elmi joined the president’s party, Jubilee in what Uhuru hailed as fruitful move.

“We want to applaud the people of Wajir County for resolving to join the Jubilee Party which is the winning team,” President Uhuru said when he received the two legislators after their defection from the Orange Democratic Movement which sponsored them to parliament in the 2013 elections.

The legislators led section of Degodia elders who called on the president a week after Ogaden elders and professionals visited the State House and assured the president of their support.

Uhuru called on Wajir residents to observe peace and cohesion ahead of a tensed elections.

“The most important thing in development is unity and stability since where there is no unity and peace, there can be no development,” he said.

Uhuru similarly expressed his desire “all along to work with the people of Wajir for the sake of unity and stability in the region.”

“Their (Wajir leaders) decision to join Jubilee has been informed by the development agenda being implemented by our Government throughout the country,” the president tweeted.

The State House visit included Wajir East MP Abass Sheikh Mohamed, 15 local county assembly members and the speaker Bishar Omar.

The visit came two days after the three legislators denounced the area governor Ahmed Abdullahi, saying they have withdrawn support.

At a joint press conference on Saturday, the area legislators maintained that they would seek for a change of leadership, arguing that he came short of their expectation.