A section of voters in Eldama Ravine constituency is up in arms against area MP Musa Sirma whom they now refer to as ‘’Our ever-absent mheshimiwa’’. The voters claim that Musa Sirma is inaccessible and has been missing in action since his election in August 2022, his presence has not been felt on the ground.
They claim that the MP despite him dishing out several promises and election pledges during the campaigns, has not done even a single tangible project in the constituency. Residents claim the MP could still be suffering from Kanu and ODM hangovers. In the run-up to the last elections, Musa Sirma was a Kanu member before decamping to UDA.
Musa Sirma is the only Kalenjin MP who never come out openly to condemn the demonstrations which were called by Azimio leader Raila Odinga. Those who are conversant with his political journey claim that his silence could be a result of his strong political ties with Raila Odinga. Sources on the ground say the MP only defected to UDA as the only means to winning the parliamentary seat in an area dominated by the UDA party, his heart is still with Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta.
It should be remembered that in the run-up to the 2013 general election, Sirma, then-Eldama Ravine MP told current Deputy President William Ruto that he did not have Kalenjin votes in his pocket to determine how they vote. Sirma stood by Raila Odinga and the then Cord in the run-up to the 2013 poll despite the URP-TNA wave that swept the Rift Valley. He was among the leading lights in Rift Valley that teamed up with Kanu luminaries to campaign for the Building Bridges Initiative.
Sirma had also been nominated to parliament by Raila’s Cord in 2017 after he lost to Moses Lessonet. He was later picked as minister for East Africa and Regional Cooperation courtesy of Raila Odinga. In a nutshell, his absence and silence confirm that he is in UDA with one leg and in Azimio with the other leg.