Handshake bears fruit as Moses Kuria preaches peace in Homa Bay

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria (right), Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga (centre) and Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo shares a joke during a fundsdrive for Odienya SDA Church in Rangwe Constituency on April 14, 2018. PHOTO | BARACK ODUOR | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Kuria's presence in Homa Bay also signifies the changing nature of politics in Kenya.

  • Kuria admitted he and Jubilee colleagues saw their counterparts in NASA as enemies before handshake.

  • The Gatundu South MP attended a fundraiser in Homa Bay.

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, one of the politicians previously charged in court with hate speech against Raila Odinga and his supporters, was on Saturday in Homa Bay preaching reconciliation.

This time, he arrived at a fundraising event together with his erstwhile nemesis Homa Bay Woman Rep Gladys Wanga.

Kuria then revealed Mr Odinga had asked him to help with countrywide reconciliation meetings after his famous handshake with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“When I visited Mr Odinga in his office, he told me that the handshake is useless unless we devolve it to Kenyans,” said Mr Kuria.

Mr Kuria who joined Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga and Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo at Odienya SDA Church in Kochia, Rangwe Constituency said his meeting with Mr Odinga was about reconciliation after the violent electioneering period.

“I agreed with Mr Odinga that leaders from all parts of the country should begin to promote reconciliation in the country after the handshake,” said Mr Kuria.

Mr Kuria who donated Sh1 million to the church said political differences between Mr Odinga and President Kenyatta ended with the handshake, and therefore all Kenyans should embrace their neighbours as brothers and sisters.

“This is the first day I am devolving the handshake. I want to invite your leaders to visit Rift Valley and Central Kenya because this handshake is for all Kenyans,” said Mr Kuria.

HATESPEECH

Early this year, Mr Kuria sought an out-of-court deal with the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) following a hate speech charge that began in September 2017, when he was accused of insulting Raila Odinga and inciting youth to target those against NYS projects.

Kuria had also been among the infamous ‘hate speech five’ legislators in June 2016 who were dragged through courts for uttering inflammatory statements.

Others include then Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu (now Kiambu governor), then Kitutu Masaba MP Timothy Bosire, Suna East MP Junet Mohammed, Florence Mutua of Busia, Aisha Jumwa of Kilifi and Kimani Ngunjiri of Bahati.

They were later let released over insufficient evidence.

Yet his presence in Homa Bay also signifies the changing nature of politics in Kenya.

Homa Bay, like the other neighbouring Counties in Nyanza largely boycotted voting in the October 26 repeat election.