Kimilili Member of Parliament (MP) Didimus Barasa has stated that they overestimated their candidate in the Chwele–Kabuchai Ward by-elections, Vincent Maunda, thinking he would easily win over the independent candidate, Erick Wekesa.

Speaking during an interview at his home on Saturday, December 7, 2025, Barasa said the Kenya Kwanza team, which was campaigning for Ford Kenya’s candidate, actually overestimated Wetang’ula’s candidate, believing the race would be an easy ride.

“I went there because I underestimated that our team would just win easily,” Didmus added.

He went on to say that it was only closer to the polls, when opinion surveys were conducted, that they realised their candidate was very unpopular on the ground. The independent candidate who defeated them had beaten them by far.

According to Didimus, the opinion polls showed it was difficult for Ford Kenya’s candidate to even secure over 1,000 votes.

He added that this was the point he decided to join the campaign trail to help popularise their candidate’s bid since he was far behind, hoping to at least bridge the gap and tilt the numbers, but it turned into a battle of Waterloo.

His bid

Barasa also stated that he does not regret losing in Chwele–Kabuchai Ward, dismissing claims that the loss reflects his chances in the 2025 gubernatorial race, which he is also eyeing.

He said the two are not comparable, and the ward results cannot be used as an indictment of how the gubernatorial results will look.

Going forward, Didimus insisted that he will mind his own business — the Bungoma gubernatorial bid — and leave the rest to Ford Kenya to handle.

“My focus has always been on: how do I improve my brand? How do I position myself as the best choice among the very many who have declared interest in running for governor of Bungoma?”

“I am one man who appreciates and operates within the principle that says, ‘Mind your own business.’ I am minding my own business because my business is so huge that even at times I struggle. So I don’t want to divert my attention by beginning to focus on or mind other people’s business. Me, I’m minding my own business. Of course, there are various lessons that I’ve learnt,” he said.

Lessons learnt

He further noted that voters have become wiser and dismissed the notion that those in leadership know who should lead the people. He said Kenyans know for themselves, and nobody can impose a leader on Kenyans and succeed.

This comes after he recently stated that he will not associate with a leader whose political star is slowly dwindling, saying the Chwele–Kabuchai elections taught him a lot of lessons.

This comes after National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula’s candidate was defeated in the byelection.