Last month, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced that Bungoma senatorial by-election will be held on December 8.
The Bungoma by-election appears to revive the supremacy battle between Ford Kenya Party leader Moses Wetang’ula and Azimjo la Umoja One Kenya Coalition party presidential candidate Raila Odinga.
The Kenya party has endorsed National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula’s long-serving Personal Assistance Wafula Wamunyinyi for the seat.
Wamunyinyi is expected to give Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition party candidate Wafula Wamunyinyi a run for his money.
However, during a rally in the county on Thursday, November 10, Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale accused the Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula of interfering with the local politics.
Khalwale who was elected to a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party in the August 9, elections said Wetang’ula was above fighting to influence who takes over from him.
While asking the Ford Kenya party leader to keep off the county politics, the vocal senator argued that by influencing who succeeds him at the senate, Wetang’ula will be disadvantaging himself in the near future when he ventures into national politics.
“We are telling Wetang’ula that he should let the people of Bungoma decide. You are going to be president but if you start misbehaving who will walk with you,” Khalwale said.
He added that if Wetang’ula failed to heed his call, the Kenya Kwanza alliance would face a defeat similar to Kakamega, where a youthful Cleophas Malala was preferred over him for the gubernatorial seat.
The seat fell vacant after Moses Wetang’ula resigned for election as National Assembly Speaker in line with Kenya Kwanza pre-election agreement that saw Ford Kenya join forces with UDA and ANC parties.
