• Realignments signals possible defections towards 2027.
• Politicians are eyeing parties that are likely to boost their chances of winning.
Image: FILE
Slightly over a year after the general election, an unprecedented political realignments have hit Western as former foes regroup to craft strategies ahead of the 2027 polls.
In the recent weeks, once-sworn political archrivals have publicly buried the hatchet and announced truce.
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale and former Governor Wycliffe Oparanya last week declared they had set aside their political differences and committed to work together.
The two have not been seeing eye to eye politically for more than five years now and at one time, Khalwale unsuccessfully tried to dislodge Oparanya.
“Former Governor Oparanya and I have agreed to work together for the sake of development in this county. We will reach out to all in this county, including MCAs and MPs, to ensure that Kakamega succeeds. When Kakamega succeeds, the vision I shared with Oparanya in 2013 will also succeed,” Khalwale said.
The senator has made public his intention to make Kakamega's Fernandes Barasa a one-term governor.
The new Oparanya-Khalwale alliance could complicate Barasa’s reelection, given the influence of the two in the county.
Responding to the new developments, Saboti MP Caleb Amisi said, “Khalwale has read the signs of what was to come early and made a good choice.”
The region has also witnessed intra-coalition realignments, with politicians aligning with political formations they believe will buttress their pursuit for seats.
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa, who is eyeing the Bungoma gubernatorial seat, has lately been associating with National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula’s Ford Kenya party.
Ford Kenya has been the dominant party in the county.
Elected on UDA party, sources intimate it is a matter of time before Barasa ditches the ruling party and joins Ford Kenya.
Kenneth Lusaka is the incumbent governor serving his final term.
Former Governor Wycliffe Wangamati, who defected to UDA, is also eyeing to recapture the seat on the ruling party ticket.
Wangamati was elected on Ford Kenya but fell out with Wetang’ula, who backed Lusaka for the seat.
Busia Governor Paul Otuoma is also sending mixed signals with his growing dalliance with the President and his men.
There have been accusations that the governor is a Kenya Kwanza sympathiser after he said he will work with the current government.
Otuoma, who was booed and heckled by angry youths in the presence of Raila during an ODM rally in Busia town on January 15, is seen as tilting towards Kenya Kwanza.
A day later, the Busia county boss was in Nairobi for a meeting with Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi-President William Ruto’s pointman in the area.
On Thursday, the former Funyula MP also met Ruto at State House but maintained it was purely on development projects.
“I have this morning held discussions with President Ruto geared at finalising and actualising a number of our projects. Our discussion centered on expansion of the Busia town main road to the border point, fast-tracking of our County Aggregation and Industrial Park,” the governor posted.