The Standard on Sunday
Date: 06.10.2013
Page 23, 24
Article size: 434 cm2
ColumnCM: 96.44
AVE: 221822.22
Battle of titans as heavyweights
plot for Bungoma Senate seat
BV STEPHEN MAKABILA
Sharp divisions have hit New Reginalda Wanyonyi (Bungoma
Ford­Kenya and partners In the County Women Representative),
he was interested in is to see NFK re
claim the seat, which he said it won,
Dan Wanyama (Webuye West) and
Bonface Otsyula (Buinula).
Mwema and Webuye East MP Al­
»lyg24
Amani coalition on who should run
against immediate former Bungoma
Senator Moses Wetang'ula in the
coming by­election.
The intrigues have in turn thrown
the ruling jubilee coalition ­ to
which the three main Amani coali­
fred Sanibu of UDF who the NFK
MPs wanted to chair the campaign
preparations also attended the meet­
ing.
but was denied through electoral
fraud. "We are aware CORD cam­
paigns will be about pure propagan­
da, painting NFK as a Jubilee project,
and we are ready for it. The people of
Bungoma should know the by­elec^
tion political parties (UDF, New
"The consensus among the MPs tion would be about reclaiming an
Ford­Kenya and Kanu) are affiliated was that Wamalwa be our candidate. NFK win that was stolen in the March
­into a spin.
But just as we were winding up, Wa­ 4 general elections dirough fraud. It
Pressure is mounting on New malwa walked in with Kombo and will be a contest between NFK and
Ford­Kenya leader, former Justice
lord Kenya and people should stop
everything stalled," said Mwema,
minister Eugene Wamalwa, to enter
Dr Mukhwana told The Standard hiding behind larger coalitions," said
the race. But former nominated MP
on Sunday that among the three pos­ Wamalwa.
Musikari Kombo, who successfully sible choices for the party (Kombo,
The contest between Wamalwa
p etitioned the elec t i o n o f We tang' u I a, Wamalwa and himself), he comes in and Wetang'ula, if it comes to be,
is firmly in contention.
may go down in history as the tough­
"Yes, pressure is mounting on me as a compromise candidate.
est and most bruising political bat­
"How do we explain that Bungo­
to run but a decision is yet to be
made. Of course if I run. it will be a ma, a county of 1.7 million people, tles in Luhya­land since indepen­
battle of titans," Wamalwa confided should import a senator from Trans
to The Standard on Sunday in an in­ Nzoia County? Wamalwa's original
home is in Kirnilili, the same place
terview.
where Governor Ken Lusaka comes
Investigations by The Standard from. We cannot have a Senator and
on Sunday revealed that some pow­
erful forces in Stale House were de­
termined to have Wamalwa run to
boost the chances of CORD losing
the seal. During the interview, Wa­
malwa could not personally confirm
or deny State House involvement.
New Ford Kenya (NFK) national
organising secretary Dr luma Mukh­
wana, has also vowed he will be in
the race on his party's ticket.
On Thursday, NFK MPs boycot­
a Governor from one area," argued
Mukhwana.
Keep off campaigns
Governor Lusaka told The Stan­
dence.
Dr George Masafu, a Wamalwa al­
ly who feels the former Saboti MP
should go for the seat says,
"Wetang'ulais a strong fighter and an
aggressive politician and the contest
would be too close to call".
Locking out
Wetang'ula and his CORD part­
dard on Sunday he was not support­ ners seem ready and focused, with
ing any side in the coming by­elec­ their only concern being to thrash
tion, and thai he will be ready to out claims of voter bribery in die rul­
work with any Senator the people of ing, through an appeal he has filed
Bungoma will elect.
in court.
"1 will keep off campaigns be­
ted a meeting between Wamalwa cause I am the governor for all the
and UDF leader Musalia Mudavadi county. 1 do not want to take sides,"
at the UDF offices, where Mudavadi said Mr Lusaka.
CORD co­principals Raila Odinga
and Kalonzo Musyoka are also likely
to camp in Bungoma to ensure
was quoted as indicating that Amani
Wetang'ula, who was the minority
Mukhwana, Mwema, a Bumula
coalition will support Kombo in the politican JackWamboka, and Feder­
by­election.
al Party leader Cyrus Jirongo among
leader in the Senate, reclaims his
others, on Thursday night held a
meeting at aWestlands hotel, in Nai­
September 30 during the ruling that
nullified Wetang'ula's win, said the
nullification was political, and
vowed CORD will fight tooth and
Compromise candidate
NFK Secretary General Canon robi where they discussed strategies
Benjamin Mwema who had earlier for the by­election.
told The Standard on Sunday the
Mwema maintains that nobody
meeting between Mudavadi and Wa­ else can purport to speak on behalf
malwa had been cancelled, later
said, "our NFK MPs did not attend
the meeting because they were busy
elsewhere".
The NFK MPs had earlier met on
of NFK since he was the official par­
ty spokesperson.
"I am the secretary general and
therefore the official spokesperson
of the party. No one can, therefore,
Wednesday at a Chinese restaurant name our candidate without involv­
off Dennis Pritt road, where they had ing the party secretariat whose cus­
reached consensus to back Wamal­
wa for the seat.
todian I am," said Mwema.
Wamalwa told The Standard on
MPs at the meeting included Dr Sunday that as the party leader, what
seat.
Raila who was in Bungoma on
nail to reclaim the seat.
Wetang'ula said the party was
ready for battle, telling his support­
ers to prepare their cards when the
time for dealing with "Jubilee proj­
ects" comes.
CORD is also likely to paint Jubi­
lee as a coalition that has no inter­
est for the former Western province,
after locking out the region in major
political appointments through
Ipsos Synovate Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya
The Standard on Sunday
Date: 06.10.2013
Page 23, 24
Article size: 434 cm2
ColumnCM: 96.44
AVE: 221822.22
failed to show commitment on re­
what some leaders from t le region
now refer to as "politics of exclu­ vival of the Webuye­basec Pan­Pa­
per Mills and save the financially
sion".
Bungoma County, especially, did ailing Nzoia Sugar Factory
While Ruto has mad s several
not benefit from any appc intments
of principal secretaries ramed by trips to the county since t le March
President Uhuru Kenyan,i and his 4 genera] elections, the Pr :sident is
yet to tour the county, or a ly part of
Deputy William Ruto.
The Jubilee government, some
the former Western Provir ce.
politicians in CORD argue, has also
ODM leaders after a meeting on
Friday. CORD has vowed to back Mr
Moses Wetang'ula.
Ipsos Synovate Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya