Migori County Governor Ochilo Ayacko has finally cleared the air on why attended President Ruto’s state function in Migori on his four-days-tour in the Luo Nyanza after skipping the president’s first visit.
While speaking during President Ruto’s meeting with cane farmers at Awendo, Governor Ayacko said that attending the function was one way of upholding and promoting the constitution.
The County boss also spill the bean saying that ahead of the presidential tour in Nyanza, a meeting was held in Mombasa, headed by Azimio leaders to discuss the way forward for the opposition regions.
“Two weeks ago, Azimio governors met in Mombasa and we had all our principles. We resolved that as leadership of the counties, we must make the constitution work,” he said.
Governor Ayacko said that in the meeting that was hosted by the Governor of Mombasa, Abdulswamad Nassir, both Raila and Kalonzo were present.
Governor Ochilo who has been at the forefront of criticizing the Kenya Kwanza government under President William Ruto acknowledged the head of the state’s visit urging him to lead inclusively.
Prior to welcoming president Ruto in Migori, Ayacko had skipped Ruto’s visit in the County earlier this year alleging that he was not officially invited.
He said that the constitution allows Kenyans to vote for six different leadership positions and in so doing, there is possibilities of having leaders from different political camps serving the same citizens owing to the multiparty democracy in Kenya.
In a surprise turn of moments, governor Ayacko acknowledged president Ruto’s extension of olive branch to deliver development projects irrespective of last general election’s voting patterns.
“As it has happened today, the president is leading today, the Kenya Kwanza and he is the president of Kenya and I am the governor of Migori and a strong Azimio diehard but we are all here for the benefit of the citizens of this nation,” he said.
He added that as the governors from the opposition especially Azimio, they will work closely with the national government to deliver the services while upholding multipartism which he said is there to stay.
“In order for people to get services, we resolved as governors of Azimio that we cannot take the nation backwards. We will work with the national government while also ensuring that multipartism is here to stay,” he added.
He however, warned that their decision to work with the government should not be mistaken for defecting to the Kenya Kwanza political camp but embracing the president’s readiness to work with everyone.
Among the acknowledgements was the president’s order, through the Ministry of Transport, to operationalize Migori Airstrip at Lichota and the expansion of its runway.
He also acknowledged the opening of County Aggregation and Industrial Park at Macalder in the Ministry of Trade saying that the investment will boost the county’s revenue.
Governor Ayacko further urged the president to visit all the eight sub-counties in Migori, meet with the people so as to build a trust for him to find a starting point in his development agenda.
Biko Steve 
IAN BYRON