• Savula said they want the western region to speak with one voice as the country moves closer to the election period.
• Waluke said Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi of ODM is best suited for Bungoma governorship.
Image: JOHN NALIANYA
Allies of ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi are on a mission to woo Deputy President William Ruto's men in western to their camp ahead of the 2022 General Election.
ANC deputy party leader Ayub Savula said they are seeking to have all MPs in the region in the One Kenya Alliance camp, which comprises ANC, Wiper, Ford Kenya and Kanu.
Speaking during a meeting of ANC lawmakers at his Nairobi home, Savula said they want the western region to speak with one voice as the country moves closer to the election period.
Malava MP Malulu Injendi, a Jubilee legislator, was among those who attended the meeting.
“We now have Injendi. Next, we will be looking for Mumias East MP Ben Washiali,” Savula said.
Washiali is a close ally and point man of the Deputy President in Kakamega county.
Injendi did not comment about his presence at the ANC meeting.
Also present were MPs Christopher Aseka (Khwisero), Sakwa Bunyasi (Nambale), Oscar Nabulindo (Matungu), Beatrice Adagala (Vihiga county) and Mudavadi.
Mudavadi said they held discussions on both national and regional issues.“We are sending a message of unity of purpose from western region,” he said.
Soon after the meeting, ANC posted on its social media pages that Injendi had abandoned the Tangatanga camp.
“Malulu Injendi returns home. Malava MP defects to Mudavadi's team from Tangatanga. Welcome!" ANC posted.
The decision by Injendi to grace ANC came barely a month after he said that Ruto's support in the region was intact despite conflicting statements from his backers.
It followed statements issued by MPs Didmus Barasa (Kimilili) and John Waluke (Sirisia).
Barasa announced that he was taking a four-month leave from national politics to concentrate on his mandate for Kimilili.
He said he would use the period to reach out to Ford Kenya's Moses Wetang'ula, Mudavadi, Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati, former UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi and Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi for dialogue to avoid fragmenting the Luhya vote.
Waluke said Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi of ODM is best suited for Bungoma governorship.
Injendi said that the statements by Barasa and Waluke have nothing to do with their support for Ruto.
“If Barasa and Waluke wanted to leave UDA they could have expressly stated as such. Barasa could be having personal issues which he wants to deal with away from the public eye,” he said.
Edited by A.N