National Assembly majority leader Aden Duale has defended rebel members of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) from Kwale County saying they have a right to associate with the government.
Speaking Saturday in Kwale, Duale warned the ODM leadership against harassing three leaders including Governor Salim Mvurya, Woman representative Zainab Chidzuga and Lunga Lunga MP Khatib Mwashetani for joining Jubilee Party saying the trio were attracted by the good development record by the national government.
"Every leader wants to be close to the government so that the electorate can enjoy the fruits of development and these three leaders from Kwale who were once ODM members quit because there was no development agenda in that party. Now it's just propaganda and insults.Why can't they leave them alone," he asked.
He further hit out at Cord leader Raila Odinga for not addressing issues facing the coast region when he was the prime minister in the grand coalition government.
The Orange party has since expelled Mvurya and Chidzuga for working with the government. Mwashetani was elected on a Ford Kenya ticket, an affiliate of Cord.