Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula’s 2017 presidential bid has run into fierce headwinds from the unlikeliest of quarters.
The first salvo was fired from his Trans Nzoia backyard, where Ford Kenya officials openly accused him of poor leadership and failure to hold elections in accordance with the party constitution.
In a scathing personal attack, Trans Nzoia branch chairman Ken Wafula dismissed Wetang’ula as a joker and non-starter in the presidential race who only campaigned in Bungoma. Failure to hold party elections, they claimed, is a tragic omission because, as of now, Ford-K has no elected officials as the party constitution demands.
“Any Kenyan,therefore, has a constitutional right to proceed to the High Court and challenge Wetang’ula’s presidential candidature as unlawful,” Wafula said.
The second salvo was fired by neighbouring Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, who allegedly said Wetang’ula is unfit to be President. In a hard-hitting statement, Oparanya told Wetang’ula to stop lying to the country that he has what it takes to become a presidential candidate, asking him “to stick to the rivers he is used to as MP and Senator”.
He accused the senator of betraying the Luhya community in 2007 by supporting PNU’s Mwai Kibaki for President.
In the statement to media houses, the ODM deputy party leader said, “The decision by Wetang’ula to defy the Western wave and disregard their support for ODM leader Raila Odinga cost the region an eventual shot at the presidency. The stolen ODM victory in 2007 was the clearest path for the Luhya community to get to power because Raila would certainly have handed over power to Musalia Mudavadi, whom he proceeded to make Deputy Prime Minister in the Grand Coalition Government”.
Issues have also been raised concerning his financial capacity to successfully launch a nationwide presidential campaign.
The senator, who has been throwing unflattering barbs at his co-principals in the battle for the Cord’s ticket, has also run into trouble with the Council of Luo Elders, who are demanding an apology from him for likening Cord leader Raila to a barren woman. But Wetang’ula, through his allies — MPs Chris Wamalwa and Ferdinand Wanyonyi — said he will not apologise as demanded . “The Luo Council of Elders should not expect an apology from Senator Wetang’ula just because they mistook his use of figurative language for an insult,” they said.
Why the sudden assault on Wetang’ula? Who is the hidden hand behind his current woes? One is reminded of the African proverb, “When the hyena wants to eat her own children, she first accuses them of smelling like sheep.”
Could his fellow co-principals, acting individually or jointly, have activated a scheme to cut the Ford Kenya leader to downsize by remote control?
In politics, anything is possible and this could be a subtle plot or conspiracy to reduce competition.
The Ford-K corner however has placed all its tribulations squarely on Deputy President William Ruto. They claim that he, and Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka, are out to destabilise the party
Whoever is behind their tribulations matters precious little! Suffice it to state that they have exposed Ford Kenya’s soft underbelly. The Political Parties Act and Article 91 of the Constitution demand that parties hold regular free and fair elections
according to their constitutions.
If Ford Kenya does not hold elections on or before the August 2017 election, all or any of their candidates can be nullified by a petition to the High Court. Holding party elections at this point in time will open them to saboteurs and could lead to a massive nomination fallout. The party is currently caught in between the devil and the deep blue sea.
The political fortunes of Moses Wetang’ula are in free-fall at perhaps the worst possible moment in his career. His political bubble has been popped. People who live in glass houses, as the old adage states, must never throw stones.