• Landslide win in Kabuchai and ANC's victory in Matungu indications of a political shift that would catapult the Luyha to State House in 2022.
• The Western region has been seen as the stronghold of ODM leader Raila Odinga
Image: HILTON OTENYO
Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang'ula and his ANC counterpart Musalia Mudavadi have said it is time a Luyha became president following their victories in Matungu and Kabuchai.
They said the victory in the parliamentary races was the glue that would bond their ties and deliver the “elusive Kijana Wamalwa presidential dream”.
Mudavadi and Wetang'ula said Ford Kenya's landslide win in Kabuchai and ANC's victory in Matungu were indications of a political shift that would catapult the Luyha to State House in 2022.
The Western region has been seen as the stronghold of ODM leader Raila Odinga. They voted for him overwhelmingly in 2007, 2013 and 2017.
However, ANC and Ford Kenya combined forces in a rare political collaboration that vanquished ODM's quest to capture Matungu.
Deputy President William Ruto had a false start with UDA, 'the wheelbarrow party', losing by big margins in both Kabuchai and Matungu.
On Friday Mudavadi fired a warning shot at the critics of the Luyha unity, declaring the victories a triumph over “Judas Iscariots and doubting Thomases” whom he said have for long ridiculed them.
“I believe that the biggest victory is ahead of us; you can imagine what we can achieve if we are united, the grand march to State House of the late Kijana Wamalwa is still alive,” Mudavadi said.
The ANC party boss said that by winning the two by-elections, they had made one important step in their “long journey for the country's top leadership.”
Mudavadi said Western Kenya will no longer be taken for granted in the battle for the presidency.
“Can you imagine people who have been investing in our division, we tell them today, stop trying to invest in dividing us, let us work with everybody with all cards being on the table,” Mudavadi said.
“We extend an olive branch to our friends in ODM and other parties, this is the time for you to realise that we can achieve a lot more together, had we been pulling together, the way we should, we can make a big difference.”
ODM expressed confidence in the performance of its candidate in Matungu, saying it took a joint assault by four political parties to beat them.
Executive director Oduor Ong’wen said they faced combined efforts of ANC, Ford Kenya, Kanu and Wiper parties but still came a strong second.
“Even though the result is not exactly what we had aimed for, coming a very strong second with close to 11,000 votes against 14,000 combined efforts of ANC, Ford Kenya, Kanu and Wiper parties confirms that ODM remains the party to beat nationally,” said Ong’wen.
ODM got nearly 4,000 votes in 2017 when ANC, through Justus Murunga won by over 18,000 votes.
On Friday, ANC's Peter Nabulindo was declared the winner of the hotly contested by-election after garnering 14,257 votes against ODM's David Were who received 10,565 votes.
Ruto-backed candidate Alex Lanya of UDA was third with 5,513 votes while independent Bernard Wakoli came fourth with 1,536 votes.
Ford Kenya’s Majimbo Kalasinga bagged the Kabuchai parliamentary seat after garnering 19,274 votes against his closet rival Evans Kakai of UDA who got 6,445 votes.
Mudavadi and Wetang'ula are working on a new political alliance that brings on board Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Kanu chairman Gideon Moi.
It excludes Raila following a bitter falling-out in the defunct Nasa coalition.
On Friday, Wetang'ula revealed that the four would soon hold a victory lap across Western Kenya to cement their partnership in their Sacred Alliance.
“This is a sweet victory that will open and cement more alliances as we move forward,” Wetang'ula said at a press conference in Bungoma on Friday.
But critics said the two should not celebrate victories in their turfs when they have a whole country for a presidential vote.
Murang'a Senator Irungu Kang'ata, a Ruto ally, said the polls have proven that its only Raila and Ruto who can mount a political battle outside their home turfs.
“Super Thursday has proved that in Kenya, there are only two teams with the wherewithal to compete respectably away from home. It is either with UDA or Chungwa. The rest can only win home matches,” he said.
Mudavadi and Wetang'ula have recently engaged Raila and his allies in a war of words over the Nasa coalition agreement that allegedly barred ODM from fielding a presidential candidate in 2022.
A week ago as the Nasa war escalated when ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna hit out at Mudavadi and Wetangula, saying the pact talk was part of their 'greedy desire' to have Raila support one of them in 2022.
“We advise the three that if they want the presidency, Raila does not keep the ballots at his home. They must stop dancing around their village huts and travel the breadth of the country seeking that mandate,” Sifuna had said.
Wetang'ula said they will now pitch tent in Machakos to boost the Wiper campaigns for the senatorial by-election on March 18.
The victories are of massive political significance to Mudavadi and Wetang'ula in their bid to consolidate and ring-fence the Western Kenya region.
Kiringaya Governor Anne Waiguru, an ally of Uhuru, said the by-elections were a win to the handshake team.
“Congratulations to the handshake team for bagging Matungu and Kabuchai Constituencies as well as Kiamokama, Huruma and Hellsgates wards! All the best to the elect members. Ground iko tu sawa!” tweeted Waiguru.
(edited by o. owino)