By Michael Wanjala

On behalf of the membership of Western Professionals Caucus (WEPROC), I salute you our Deputy President and assure you of our best of wishes for now and the in the days to come.

The WeProc Caucus convenes professionals from Western Kenya to deliberate on the development and advancement of the region comprising the former Western Province and Trans Nzoia.

While we are a non-political movement, our attention is drawn to a video clip in which you derogatively and by use of innuendo suggest that you could not have slapped a CS from Trans Nzoia because in your culture you do not slap women.

As you would know we have only one CS, therefore it takes no magic to know who your guns are aimed at.

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It is not lost on us that your intention is to disparage the person and character of the CS.

In the same clip, you proceed to describe the CS as having a mouth from here to South Africa.

This is rather unfortunate for a person serving in the high office of a Deputy President and one who is seeking Kenyans’ endorsement to serve in the highest office in the land.

It is noteworthy that owing to your current position, such remarks even if casual and aimed at a local audience; they may spur diplomatic tiffs between our country and the Republic of South Africa.

Previously, and again totally unwarranted, you referred to another leader of Western Kenya in very unsavory terms for having reported a case of domestic violence and to yet another leader from Mulembe Nation whom according to you has an alcohol addiction.

Your Excellency, we cannot fail to note a pattern in your utterances directed at Mulembe/Luhya leaders, their political parties and establishments. We hasten to remind you that this is rather unfortunate owing to the long peaceful coexistence between the Luhya and your community.

In your defence, we imagine you could draw our attention to instances where leaders have referred to you in rather unpleasant terms.

We, however, reiterate that two wrongs do not make a right.

We in the same vein call on all leaders to tone down the rhetoric and conduct their campaigns in a civil manner minding that we share a nation not for today and tomorrow but for all of our lives, the lives of our children and their children.

We urge you to exercise restraint despite the provocation and we ask of the same from your provocateurs so that collectively we build a better nation and we continue watching evening news with our Kenyan children without cringing.

We implore that you find it appropriate to offer an apology to the Women of Kenya, the CS and the entire leadership of Western Kenya.

In the event that an apology appears to be too much of an ask, then we request that going forth you refrain from such utterances even when provoked for that indeed is the true yoke of leadership – reigning in on our emotions for the greater public good.

CPA Michael Wanjala is the Chairperson of Western Professionals Caucus (WEPROC)