Mukalo Kwayera @kwayeram

Westlands Member of Parliament Tim Wanyonyi yesterday dismissed the courtship from his Sirisia counterpart John Waluke to run for the Bungoma gubernatorial seat in next year’s General-Election.

Wanyonyi said at no time had he contemplated contest for the seat and wondered on what basis Waluke was attempting to woo him to toss himself in the race.

“This is weird and malicious. Since when did Waluke become a kingmaker? Who made him a power broker?

I have never held discussions with him or any other person in Bungoma or elsewhere regarding the governor’s position in my home county. He is utterly misguided,” Wanyonyi told People Daily.

Wanyonyi was reacting to statements attributed to Waluke in yesterday’s edition of this publication in which the Sirisia MP was quoted as saying that after wide consultations, he had opted to drop his ambitions for the Bungoma gubernatorial seat in favour of Wanyonyi, who he described as a focused and development-conscious leader.

Waluke told a press conference at his rural home last weekend that he arrived at the decision after wide consultations with his constituents and colleagues, who he said unanimously, backed Wanyonyi to run for the seat.  

He said incumbent Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati had not delivered on his campaign pledges and had miserably failed the electorate.

The legislator alleged that Bungoma faces a serious leadership crisis and it was, therefore, important that ‘sons of the soil’ like Wanyonyi went back home to rescue the county.

“Bungoma devolved unity is being run very badly with wanton corruption and slow development growth.

Only a person with the foresight of Wanyonyi can rescue our county,” said Waluke, arguing that Wanyonyi had showed exemplary leadership while serving his two terms as the Westlands MP in Nairobi.

“He has proved that he can serve in the capacity of governor very well. We will mobilise all leaders in this region to ensure that they support him,” he said.

However, Wanyonyi termed Waluke’s sentiments as ill-intentioned and diversionary, wondering why the Sirisia lawmaker could make such outbursts without having talked to him to find out what his thoughts are.

Far-fetched claims

“In the first place, I do not remember when Waluke announced that he would contest the Bungoma governorship.

How then does he come to claim  he is stepping down in my favour when he had not declared his intentions?

That is pure mischief. He has never talked to me about it and I do not know where he is coming from with these far-fetched claims,” he said.

Wanyonyi said he is focused on building his networks in Nairobi County where he has built his political career and where he intends to run for the capital city’s gubernatorial seat on an ODM ticket in next year’s election. 

“I declared two years ago that I would run for the Nairobi governor’s position. That remains the case.

I am already doing the groundwork on how to secure my party’s nomination and consequently contest.

These other matters being brought in about my running in Bungoma are mere distractions.

Waluke and I belong to two different political entities with opposing ideologies, how and where then can we meet to discuss my political future?

I am in ODM and for all I know he belongs to the renegade Tanga Tanga faction of Jubile Party,” Wanyonyi stated.

This is the second time Wanyonyi is being forced discount claims of eyeing the gubernatorial position in his native Bungoma where his elder brother and Ford Kenya Party Leader Moses Wetangula is the  Senator.

Until 2013 when he became senator, Wetangula had been the MP for Sirisia, a seat now held by Waluke.

Wanyonyi told the People Daily that he had nurtured his political career in Nairobi where he started as a nominated councillor and therefore understands the challenges facing the capital city, which is why he would rather seek to be governor of Nairobi other than Bungoma.

“I know Nairobi very well. This is where I have built my political life. Remember I first served as a nominated councillor in the defunct Nairobi City Council for one full term before being elected MP for Westlands in 2013.

It is here that I aspire to serve the electorate because the residents of this city know me better and I know their needs better.

That is why have joined the race to be the next Governor of Nairobi in 2022 and not Bungoma,” said the lawmaker.