Ford Kenya party leader Moses Wetangula fought tooth and nail to win March 2021 Kabuchai by-election only for the new MP Majimbo Kalasinga to betray him now.
Kalasinga was elected MP for Kabuchai in March after trouncing seven other candidates in a hotly contested by-election brought about by the death of James Mukwe Lusweti in December 2020.
The Ford Kenya man garnered 19,274 votes which represented 65% of the total votes cast. His closet challenger Evans Kakai of UDA âa party associated with Rutoâgot 6,455 votes representing 22%.
Kalasinga’s victory was a big relief to Wetangula whose party was fighting to retain the seat after Ruto sponsored Kakai for the seat. Kabuchai is Wetang’ula’s turf and the bedrock of Ford Kenya.
Fast forward to Friday September 17th, Kalasinga joined Ruto during his campaign trail in the larger Bungoma county.
The Kabuchai MP accompanied Ruto during his meet-the-people tour in Chwele market and drummed up support for his 2022 presidential bid.
âYou are my friend. During the recent by-election, you helped me though you had a UDA candidate. I will not forsake you,â Kalasinga told Ruto while addressing residents Chwele market.
He added that;
âWhen you see Majimbo Kalasinga and Evans Kakai here, just know Kabuchai is closed. We will support you,â he said.
Ford Kenya swiftly distanced itself from the remarks as it told supporters to ignore Kalasinga. National organising secretary Chris Mandu said he was extremely disappointed with the remarks made by the Kabuchai MP.
âIt is regretful because as a party, we have not sat down and decided to support the Deputy President. Kalasinga is my friend but I am disappointed in him. We have our presidential candidate who Wetang’ula. And we have many leaders we support among them Musalia Mudavadi but as a party, we have never discussed the Deputy President,” said Mandu.
Wetangula’s personal aide Wafula Wakoli also dismissed Kalasinga’s claims saying that Ford Kenya was not working with UDA and reiterated that the party was working with One Kenya Alliance.
“Ford Kenya party has mechanism and structures to do things and the sentiments by Majimbo that he had been sent by our party leader Moses Wetang’ula to tell Deputy President William Ruto that as a party we are supporting his hustler narrative is total lies. We want to say that those sentiments by Majimbo were his own and not those of the party,” Wakoli said.
