• Khalwale and company said Ruto is the best person to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta.
• Former senator said the harassment directed at leaders supporting Ruto is aimed at coercing them into abandoning the DP ahead of 2022.
Image: FILE
A team of leaders from Western region stormed Busia at the weekend to drum up support for Deputy President William Ruto’s presidential bid.
Residents of the border county have consistently and overwhelmingly voted for ODM leader Raila Odinga, but former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale and company want that to end in 2022. They said Ruto is the best person to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The former lawmaker said the harassment directed at leaders supporting Ruto is aimed at coercing them into abandoning the former Eldoret North MP ahead of 2022.
“We leaders who walk with the Deputy President have been labelled as bad people. We've been labelled as useless people. That we are beggars and that we wash plates in Sugoi. They are telling you that because they want to capture you,” Khalwale said.
“I want you to be free. If it were Raila Odinga who stood and said Ruto is capable [of leading Kenya], the same people who are fighting us would turn around and say Ruto is capable of leading Kenya.”
The firebrand politician spoke at Mayenje in Busia. He was accompanied by MPs Didmus Barasa (Kimilili), Dan Wanyama (Webuye West), Mumias East’s Benjamin Washiali and Malava’s Malulu Injendi.
They spoke eight days after Governor Sospeter Ojaamong said he is prepared to put up a spirited fight in ensuring unfriendly people do not take over Busia in 2022. The border county is predominantly ODM and Ojaamong is on record saying he supports the handshake and backs President Kenyatta’s development agenda.
“Those who have been wasting their time fighting will know who we are in the next few years; you are fighting us wasting your time,” Ojaamong said.
Ojaamong said before the end of this year, his team will be on the ground to ensure "the right people" receive votes. The county's population is 893,681, going by the Kenya National Census Report, 2019. Ojaamong served as Amagoro MP for two terms on an ODM ticket before he was elected governor on the same party ticket.
Busia has seven MPs. Five were elected in 2017 on ODM tickets, while two are from Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC party.
Lawmakers who sailed through the Raila-led party in 2017 are Raphael Wanjala (Budalang’i), Wilberforce Mudenyo (Funyula), Geoffrey Odanga (Matayos), Joseph Oyula (Butula) and Geoffrey Omuse (Teso South). ANC produced Oku Kaunya (Teso North) and John Bunyasi (Nambale).
Jubilee had two MPs in the county between 2013 and 2017 — Teso North's Arthur Odera and Teso South's Mary Emase. The two were defeated in 2017.
Khalwale and the MPs' visit to Busia may be the beginning of cut-throat political battles pitting leaders allied to Ruto and those in support of the handshake.
Ruto, who has visited the county more than three times since 2017, is keen on ensuring he slashes out a sizable number of votes from Raila, who, according to his close allies, will be on the ballot in 2022.
During his last visit to Busia in July 2019, the DP dished out goodies, which many interpreted as a ploy to entice locals to back his presidential bid. Among his promises was the completion of the tarmacking of the Malaba-Busia road whose construction works have stalled.
For Khalwale, politicians who see Ruto as a leader who can steer the country to the right path of economic growth should be allowed to associate with and campaign for him.
“If Raila and the party leader of Jubilee can handshake, what would be wrong if Khalwale, Washiali, Barasa, Injendi and Wanyama decided to handshake with the deputy party leader of Jubilee? What is the contradiction?” Khalwale said.
“You Luhyas from Busia, I want you to walk closely with people from the Teso community and make friends with Luos in Busia."