An aspirant for the Sirisia parliamentary seat Engineer Malaba Keya has declared his stand to vie for the seat that is currently held by incumbent and vocal Bungoma ODM chairman John Koyi Waluke.
Keya who had earlier on declined to vie for the parliamentary seat despite the support he enjoys at the grass roots said that he had made soul searching and decided to run for the Sirisia parliamentary seat on a Ford Kenya ticket.
The news was met with shock from the supporters of the incumbent MP who claimed that his announcement on social media was betrayal to Waluke who comes from the same locality with the youthful civil engineer.
“This is mischief by Wetang’ula to bring down our MP but we will not be cowed by his machinations,” said an ODM supporter who sorts anonymity.
Malaba Keya, businessman Moses Waliaula and Levi Makali, Rodgers Manana, Benard Mabonga and Joseph Wataka (Ford Kenya aspirants) are the main challengers against the combative MP.
Keya said that he had decided to contest for the seat on a Ford Kenya ticket adding that he will continue supporting the electorate by initiating projects geared at reducing poverty.
The seasoned Waluke has been a long time political foe of Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula who has trounced him severally before supporting him for the parliamentary seat in the last general election on an ODM ticket.
Some of his critics have said that he cannot be trusted for leadership following his contradictory announcement in the past that he will not vie.
“He behaves like a chameleon and cannot be trusted by the people to trounce the vocal MP,” said Joseph Wamatuba, a resident of Namwela location in Bungoma West Sub County.
However the two parted ways when the MP declared his intentions to work with the government of the day to bring development to the electorate.
Senator Wetang’ula has severally dismissed the MPs close association with the Jubilee party as suspect and called for his resignation to allow the Cord coalition to pick another MP loyal to the coalition.
Wetang’ula supporters have vowed to teach the MP a lesson for rebelling against the Cord coalition agenda and for openly dismissing the Senator as a non starter in the Presidential race.
Ford Kenya aspirant Bernard Waliuba has warned the MP that he will not be re-elected for undermining Wetangula’s Presidential bid adding that he will marshal youth in Bungoma West Sub County to de campaign the MP for lack of a development agenda for the youth and women.
“I will mobilize the youth to vote against Waluke for undermining our Presidential candidate and for lacking the capacity to initiate development projects for the youth and women in the constituency, “said Waliuba in the company of COFEK chairman Stephen Mutoro who is running for the Bungoma gubernatorial seat in the forth coming general election.
Whoever wins the Ford Kenya party nominations will get the full support of the Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula and is expected to give the incumbent MP a run for his money.
Efforts to reach the Sirisia MP John Waluke for comment were futile as his phone was switched off.
Waluke a close ally of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto is believed to launch his bid for the seat on a Jubilee ticket
Business man Waliaula said he is ready to face Engineer Keya at the Ford Kenya party nominations and will be ready to support any other candidate who will win the party nominations fairly.
“We encourage competition and I am ready to face all opponents within the party, Keya included but if I defeat him he should support me to bring change in the constituency,” said Waliaula.