Leaders drawn from Butula Sub County in Busia have formed an outfit dubbed ”Vuguvugu” that is aimed at spearheading the interests of the Marachi in Busia county.
The outfit notes that it is only when they come together that great things will happen, having already lost so much on matters leadership owing to their division as Marachi.
They now want Marachi to be united going forward while putting the interests of the community first before anything in the long run.
Speaking to this writer, Oduor Mugoma, one of the founding members of Vuguvugu said that they have reached out to their leaders among them Former Butula MP Hon. Alfred Odhiambo, Lucas Meso, Nobert Wangalwa who have also agreed to champion the interests of the Marachi first in Busia.
“Despite being one of the largest sub-tribes in Busia County, we missed out on Deputy Governor’s position, Speaker, Women Representative and even the Deputy Speaker in the county’s leadership,” Mr Mugoma said.
What baffles many is that when Harizon Namada an MCA for Narachi East applied for the position of the Deputy Speaker, he failed to get a single Member of County Assembly to second his bid and he ended up being disqualified from the race yet Marachi has five other MCAs in the County Assembly.
A lot has been said about the outfit, some terming it a group of election failures going by the composition of the members but the group is adamant and has assured residents to embrace the outfit and join it to champion the interests of the community.
“We overwhelmingly voted for H.E Governor Paul Nyongesa Otuoma but he neglected us when he assumed office and we are going to ensure that we negotiate for our positions going forwards,” he said.
He added, “For proper service delivery to the people of Busia, we must have good oversight and one of our agenda is to offer an alternative oversight in Busia. We are not going to allow resources meant for the people of Busia and Marachi to be precise go to waste.”
He noted that, for instance, in the just read county budget, the county has allocated a paltry Ksh82 million to Butula and Samia while where the Governor comes from has been allocated Ksh406 million.
“This among other issues are what we are going to look into as Vuguvugu,” he said.
Speaking in Marachi West, where they took the movement’s agenda and to sensitise them, the leaders said they will fight for the rights of the Amarachi to the end.
“We are suffering as the Marachi Community because we are not receiving our share of the cake from both county and national governments,” the movement’s organising Secretary, Eric Ochieng Were said, noting that they want the community to know and understand their rights and to know their share from both county and national governments.
He added: “We have the numbers, and we shall ensure they have got what they deserve. The movement is not for war but is meant to educate residents on their rights and to bring development by singing in one voice.”
Leaders behind Vuguvugu are Patroba Odhiambo, Oocho,Gomba among many other leaders drawn from Marachi West, East, Marachi North,Marachi Central, Kingandole and Elugulu ward.
