By: Ahmed Abdirashid Hajji
WAJIR—Four CORD members of Parliament , a senator and a governor have today defected to the President’s ruling Jubilee party.
Wajir South legislator Abdullahi Diriye and his West counterpart Abdikadir Ore, Wajir North MP Ibrahim Saney and the County Women Representative, Fatuma Ibrahim as well as the the county Senator Abdirahman Ali Hassan have all declared their wish to leave the party that sponsored them to their seats.
Wajir South MP Diriye said he was leaving the CORD coalition due to ideological difference with the coalition leader, Raila Odinga.
“My party leader Odinga is calling for the removal of Kenya Defense Forces from Somalia. As Wajir South community, we are against that,” he argued .
Wajir Women Rep Fatuma Ibrahim said she was hoodwinked into joining ODM by two seasoned politicians, adding she would not be blindly led into another party.
“Senator Ollow and Keynan asked us to join CORD in 2013, but today we are moving to where the goodies are,” she said.
Senator Ollow said he was well acquainted with the Jubilee duo—Uhuru and Ruto— adding he would continue working with them as he had done in the past decade.
Wajir West MP Abdikadir Ore said the Jubilee administration has done a lot for the people of the region and that it was time to jump ship and join the Jubilee party.
Wajir North MP Ibrahim Saney thanked the president for a number of high profile jobs he offered to the people of the county.
“You remembered us Mr President and we will not dessert you this time round,”he assured.
Eldas member of Parliament Adan Keynan did not make his stand clear but instead called on the leaders to consult with the elders before making hasty decisions .
“We don’t decide our political path all by ourselves as leaders. We let the community elders to decide because they represent the will of the people we want to represent,” Keynan told the president and his deputy amid cheers from the crowd .
Ahmed Abdullahi, the county governor indicated that he was no longer comfortable with his current party, ODM indicating that he was willing to join the ruling party which he described as a ‘development oriented party ‘.
While addressing Mammoth crowd at Wajir Stadium, President Uhuru Kenyatta thanked the leaders for the warm reception and the overwhelming support they showed to his government , saying his government has more goodies to offer to the people of Wajir County .
On the other hand , the president seems to be skeptical over the leader’s hasty defectionw reminding them of a similar declaration they made in the last General Election .
“I don’t know if I can trust you this time round because you said you would support me in the 2013 elections, but again I found you lining up with CORD,” the president told the crowd.
