A Ford Kenya politician claims that party leader Moses Wetang’ula visits DP William Ruto at night over a possible 2022 pact.
Former Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale accused his party boss of insincerity and pretending during the day that he does not back Ruto’s presidential bid.
On Sunday, Ford-K delegates met in Bungoma town and called for disciplinary action against Khalwale for his dalliance with the DP. They warned that they will not allow members to support presidential aspirants from rival parties.
“Asking and consulting is not a weakness. We need to speak in one voice. Rushing to support others is the highest degree of indiscipline,” Wetang’ula said.
Others who came under scathing attack were Bungoma woman representative Catherine Wambilianga, Kabuchai MP James Lusweti and MCAs who visited the DP at his Sugoi home last month.
Yesterday, Khalwale, who is the party deputy leader, laughed off the attack, saying he is “doing what is best for the party”.
“I want to tell the Ford-K leadership that their integrity is at stake. Why should they visit Ruto at night and negotiate, only to pretend during the day when they go back to Bungoma?” asked the outspoken politician.
Efforts to get a response from Wetang’ula were unsuccessful. He did not return our calls or respond to text messages.
Khalwale told Wetang’ula and other Ford-K leaders to stop rebuking potential partners.
“They should come out and say it. If not Ruto, whom do they want to work with? What I am doing is good for the party, the Luhya community and the country at large.”
Khalwale, who has popularised bullfighting in the area, said Ford-K cannot win the presidency alone and has to work with like-minded individuals.
“Let people not be myopic. The current politics of Kenya entails that only coalitions of sorts will form government. What can Ford-K alone do?” he asked.
During the Bungoma meeting, secretary general Simiyu Eseli warned Jubilee against rocking the party. “Jubilee should stay in its lane. Its plans to pick our members and coerce them to support them won’t succeed. We’ll soon deal with errant members,” the Tongaren MP said.
His Kanduyi counterpart Wafula Wamunyinyi said the party’s top leadership had decided to take action against the ‘renegades’.
“Already, a complaint letter is at the party headquarters in Nairobi. We’ve set up a committee to investigate and take disciplinary action against them,” he said.