Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura has clarified that all leaders were invited to attend the Mashujaa Day celebrations that took place on Monday, October 20, at Ithookwe Stadium in Kitui County.
Notable Ukambani leaders who skipped the celebrations included Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua, Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti, and Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr.
Speaking on Tuesday, October 21, Mwaura dismissed claims that the government intentionally sidelined opposition leaders.
He insisted that invitations were sent to all relevant leaders and urged the opposition to stop politicising national events.
"The invites were done to all the leaders that were supposed to attend. Let us just rise to the occasion and not try to create division and acrimony just to settle political scores. The government has no reason whatsoever not to invite anybody to Mashujaa Day, it is a national celebration," he said.
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Mwaura further pointed out that several leaders from across the political divide were present, and called on those who missed the event to show unity and patriotism during national occasions.
"You saw the Governor of Kitui, Julius Malombe, was there, the Deputy Governor and other leaders like Charles Nguna, Mwengi Mutuse and Rose Nyamai.
"The leaders were there from across the call divide; there are leaders who refused to come to the Mashujaa Day celebrations, we should ask them to be patriotic and at some point set aside political differences and celebrate," he added.
In an interview earlier Tuesday, Wambua explained that he skipped the celebrations, despite being the area Senator, because he was not invited.
He blamed the organizing committee of the Mashujaa Day celebrations for not consulting him in the planning of the event.
"Being the Senator of Kitui and Deputy Minority leader in the Senate, I would have expected that if my input was necessary in this event, I would have expected consultations prior to the event. The team organizing the event should have had a sitting with the Senator. That did not happen and it was not for me to go and tell anyone that, 'I hear you are coming to Kitui, allow me some space.'
"To date I have not received any invitation. I am an elected senator, I can be identified, surely someone should have sent me the invitation. It is also courtesy to invite people to events," he said.
Wambua mentioned that he requested the Kitui locals to allow him to skip the Mashujaa Day celebrations days before the event.
"I was in Kitui and we had several rallies, we had accompanied our party leader, and members of the united opposition. One of the things that I did is I asked the people of Kitui to kindly excuse me from these celebrations and they were very unanimous that I should not attend," he added.
Elsewhere, Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei criticized Kalonzo for skipping the celebrations, accusing him of being unpatriotic and a coward.
"Kalonzo is a coward of the century; by skipping the Mashujaa Day national celebrations that was unpatriotic to the country yet all Ukambani are attending in mammoth crowds," Cherargei said in a statement on Monday.
Cherargei claimed that Kalonzo had traveled to the United Kingdom but returned to Kenya for the funeral of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, only to skip the national celebrations in his own region.
"Kalonzo had run away to the United Kingdom (UK) to hide, but returned because of Jakom's funeral. He must have confused the event because this is a national celebration, not a political rally," he added.
Cherargei questioned Kalonzo's nationalist credentials, arguing that a true patriot would not miss a national holiday to honor Kenya's heroes.
"He pretends to be a nationalist and patriotic, but he cannot honour a national holiday to celebrate our national heroes," he further said.
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