Bumula residents have criticized and disagreed with sentiments made by Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula when he toured Bumula Constituency in Bungoma County on Tuesday. The Ford Kenya said that voters should do away with independent candidates and vote for politicians who are in parties.
Led by Mwambu Mabonga who is vying for Bumula parliamentary seat, they stated that Wetangula should stop moving around with a candidate who was given a direct ticket by his party and forcing them to vote for him, yet he knows very well that majority of Bumula residents never participated in party nominations and never elected a leader of their choice.
“The Ford Kenya nomination in Bumula was full of malpractices, it wasn’t free and fair and most of us never participated so we wonder how a certain candidate was given a ticket,” they said.
They furthered their argument that Wetangula should woo voters on his own as he wants to defend his Senatorial seat, but walking around and telling voters to support his preferred candidate in Bumula would cost him too.
“He should let us decide on our own, there is no way we shall vote for Ford Kenya from the MCA seat to the top seat as he put it. This time round we won’t support parties we are supporting individuals who have the people’s needs at heart, individuals who will fight for us,” revealed one of the residents.
They demanded an apology from the NASA co-principal for making such sentiments in public and yet he understands what transpired during Ford Kenya party nominations in Bumula.
Mwambu stated that Wetangula is respected as a County leader but he was surprised to hear him utter such statements, “We respect Wetangula as our leader and in his capacity as a lawyer but hearing him say that independent candidates have no place surprises me since the constitution is clear about independent candidates. Why is he abusing his post as a profession?” he posed.
He, however, urged Senator Wetangula to leave grassroots politics to voters themselves to decide and dared him to show what Bumula has benefited from him as he served in different ministries.
“He should show Bumula people, what he has done for them since he joined politics and as a minister in different ministries, not coming here and endorsing a candidate who everybody knows was given a free Ford Kenya ticket,” said Mwambu “We have Ford Kenya officials here who know that there are problems in Ford Kenya party so he should not pretend that everything is well.”