Former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale now claims that he has received blessings from members of the Raila Odinga-led party ODM in Western to vie for the Kakamega governor seat.

Taking to his social media pages, Khalwale claimed that he met a section of leaders from the ODM party at his home who assured him of their support for the county job.

“This morning, I held a breakfast meeting with Ikolomani North @TheODMparty leaders. I am so grateful that they took the opportunity to endorse me for Kakamega Governor 2022,” Khalwale said.

ODM party has, however, dismissed his claims noting that there was no such meeting between its leaders at the former senator.

The party said the purported leaders who visited Khalwale were not its officials noting that they were imposters.

“There has not been any meeting of ODM officials with former Senator of Kakamega County DR Bonny Khalwale. None of our officials in Kakamega has met and endorsed him as he claims on his Twitter handle. Those are imposters,” ODM said in a statement.

Khalwale’s statement comes at a time when ODM vice-chair and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya had suggested that they will field a candidate for the gubernatorial race. Oparanya suggested that he would prefer his deputy Philip Kutima as his preferred successor.

“I have talked to my people and even brought elders from my home area to express their solidarity in backing Kutima,” he said.

Speaking in Malava on Saturday, the Governor said his desire was to be succeeded by a person who would continue and promote his development agenda.