Bungoma
By Tony Wafula
Wycliffe Wangamati was declared the second Governor of Bungoma by riding on Ford Kenya Party Leader Senator Moses Wetang’ula using his political connections in the county.
Wangamati despite having financial muscles, he was a political greenhorn and there was no way he was going to defeat Ken Lusaka who by that time was enjoying support from Statehouse machineries.
But what made him win was the Wheelbarrow saga that put Lusaka in a tight rope of working around the clock to retain his seat since Ford Kenya and its propaganda network led by Wetang’ula himself worked against his re-election.
At that time, the county purchased nine wheelbarrows at a cost of at least Sh1million.
Wangamati won the governorship race by 197,422 votes (48 per cent) against Lusaka’s 175,929 votes.
And going by the current happenings, Wangamati now nicknamed ‘Governor Wamitungi’ is likely to be a one term governor depending on how he will control the damage threatening to end his political career where it’s alleged the county purchased 600 20 litre jericans at a cost of Sh10, 000 each.
“In Bungoma, you don’t lose an election because you are a bad leader but due to propaganda. Any slight mistake will take you home. Lusaka lost in the last elections not because he was a bad leader but the wheelbarrow saga,” said Prof Nyukuri Barasa, a Governance expert.
Lusaka’s wheelbarrow saga happened three years into his leadership as the first Bungoma Governor same to Wangamati, the jericans saga.
Investigations by the County Splash Team discovered that the emergency state funds set aside to help in fighting the Coronavirus pandemic were squandered by senior county officials.
Medics confided to this writer that the county only sensitized the public against Covid19 but the medics haven’t received any training.
‘’We have a suspected Covid19 victim last at Webuye County hospital and has been in quarantine for two weeks now but he is not being attended to. Bungoma has no isolation ward but only a quarantine center, “said Nyukuri.
He added : ‘’Wangamati should not think that Bungoma residents are fools, we can’t buy his lies that the funds were a donation, some of his emergency response team members squandered the cash and they should take responsibility for it,”.
“Lusaka will be our Ford Kenya governorship candidate in 2022 and even Wetang’ula has been having meetings with him due to the fact that Wangamati has declined to toe the line and is planning to seek re-election on Eugene Wamalwa’s DAP party,” said a Ford Kenya party officials privy to the information.
Centre for Human Rights led by Philip Wekesa, Albert Lumumba and John Khaoya have also filed a case in court seeking to have Covid19 Emergency Response Team who were involved in the purchase of the jericans are prosecuted.
Before the dust could settle, fresh details have emerged that Wangamati and Senator Wetang’ula are at cross roads following the saga since its damaging the image of the party. Wetang’ula has also been raising queries on misuse of public funds.
“Lusaka will be our Ford Kenya governorship candidate in 2022 and even Wetang’ula has been having meetings with him due to the fact that Wangamati has declined to toe the line and is planning to seek re-election on Eugene Wamalwa’s DAP party,” said a Ford Kenya party officials privy to the information.
The frosty relationship between Wetang’ula and Wangamati was evident when inspecting the county’s preparedness to handle the virus.
Wangamati after getting wind that Wetang’ula was visiting the facility, he hurriedly changed his plans and came to inspect it. Wetang’ula came when he was addressing the media and after the presser, he left in a huff leaving behind his deputy, Prof Charles Ngome to handle his party boss.
Wetang’ula and MPs Mwambu Mabonga (Bumula), Didmas Barasa (Kimilili), Dan Wanyama (Webuye West), Catherine Wambilianga (Women Rep) and a host of MCAs were unhappy with the Governor for walking away when he knew his party leader was around.They lawmakers.
Ford Kenya party officials are also not happy that Wangamati declined to nominate the likes of Wafula Wakoli to his Cabinet despite having campaigned for him fiercly over flimsy grounds that he will outsmart him. Wangamati gave plum jobs to his political cronies and left out Wetang’ula’s wish list. That’s where the problem started.
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