Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula arrives for the burial service of Rose Anyona, mother to Mautuma MCA Charles Anyona, at Mautuma in Lugari on Saturday /HILTON OTENYO .
Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula and Senator Boni Khalwale publicly clashed over support for Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna for the presidency in next year's election.
The two disagreed during the burial service of Rose Anyona, mother to Mautuma MCA Charles Anyona, in Lugari on Saturday.
Khalwale asked Savula to switch his support from President William Ruto’s re-election to Sifuna under the Linda Mwananchi movement.
“You, Savula, have to change your style of politics and support our own son Edwin Sifuna for President,” he said.
Khalwale said he will meet all Luhya leaders including Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula and Savula to chart the way forward for Luhya community in 2027.
“I want you to send me to reach out to Mzee Francis Atwoli, Mudavadi, Wetang’ula and Savula and convince them to stop politics of division by saying a Luhya cannot win the presidency and support Sifuna,” Khalwale told mourners.
But Savula, who was present at the funeral, dismissed Khalwale, terming his support for Sifuna “a wasted effort”.
Savula asked Khalwale to stop wasting his time on opposition politics because the die is already cast.
“As far as l know, the only presidential candidate who will win this elections is President Ruto,” said Savula, who is the deputy coordinator of President Ruto’s re-election campaign in Western.
He said Bungoma governor Kenneth Lusaka, who is the coordinator of the Western campaign for Ruto’s re-election, had initiated a meeting with Luhya leaders on how to support Ruto for 2027 as a way to position the region strategically for his succession in 2032.
He said his support for Ruto was born out of the commitment the President has demonstrated for development in Western Kenya.
Savula said that, together with other leaders who are mindful of the welfare of the people of Western, he would not allow a few individuals to mislead voters in the region into the opposition.
He said leaders from the region were currently pushing an aggressive voter registration drive to raise the number of voters to four million by the tine of the next general election.
