Put Kenya's interest first, Uhuru Kenyatta tells opposition

President Uhuru Kenyatta at a past event. FILE PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• He said political leaders should be motivated by progress in the country and not by personal fights.
• Sometimes we can agree to agree and sometimes we can agree to disagree on some issues like we did with President Obama.

By PSCU
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President Uhuru Kenyatta has criticised the Opposition for failing to put the interest of the country first when they met US President Barack Obama during his visit a week ago.

President Kenyatta said the leaders, who were lucky to have the opportunity to meet Mr Obama, wasted the golden chance they got to contribute to Kenya’s progress.

“Even when we have visitors, you want to wash your dirty linen in public. You do not invite visitors to your house and start quarrelling with your spouse,” he said.

He told politicians that being in the Opposition is not about opposing projects that benefit Kenyans.

“Opposition is about difference of opinion but does not mean enmity,” he said.

He said the role of opposition politicians is to air their views democratically on issues they have a difference of opinion on and to support what is right.

“If something is good, put the country first and support it. When the visitor goes we can continue sorting (out) our differences.

“Sometimes we can agree to agree and sometimes we can agree to disagree on some issues like we did with President Obama (on gay rights),” said President Kenyatta

The President spoke in Makongeni in Thika after attending a security meeting at the KDF Engineers Brigade barracks.

PERSONAL FIGHTS

The President was accompanied by Internal Security Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery, Principal Secretary Monica Juma and Thika Town MP Alice Ng'ang'a.

“Instead of asking for more investments in Kenya and putting the country first, the opposition leaders chose to put their selfish interests first,” he said.

He said political leaders should be motivated by progress in the country and not by personal fights.

President Obama visited Kenya to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and also for bilateral talks.

The US president had said that one of the opposition leaders had asked him to put pressure on the government on some issues.

He blasted the opposition leader for being hypocritical because the politician, while in government, had asked the US to stop interfering with Kenya's affairs.

President Kenyatta said the government's move to support unemployed youth through projects managed by the National Youth Service had been criticised.

The President said those creating controversies over the NYS by making outrageous claims were out to scuttle the efforts to fight the poverty affecting Kenyan youth.

“They only want the youth to continue living in poverty so that they can exploit them for political support,” he said.