Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa and Speaker of NA Dr Moses Wetang’ula….Photo/IP.
By IP reporter.
BUNGOMA, Kenya (IP)
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa says he will seek the Bungoma governorship on a Ford Kenya ticket only if party leader Moses Wetang’ula stands by him, warning that internal resistance will not deter his ambition.
“The Ford K leaders are leaving me in the house and looking for an outsider,” Barasa told a popular vernacular radio station. “If they reject me, I will only wait for the final word of the party leader of Ford Kenya and then decide if I will contest on a UDA ticket.”
Barasa accused leaders backing Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi — Wetang’ula’s younger brother — of chasing personal gain.
“They are scrambling for Bungoma because some have been promised to share positions in the county government,” he said.
Defending his record, Barasa pointed to what he called a solid history in project delivery.
“They have ganged up against me because of my solid support and development agenda, but I will defeat them,” he said.
Barasa’s bid faces stiff competition from Wanyonyi, who has entered the race with the backing of nine MPs and all 62 Bungoma MCAs.
In the 2022 elections, Barasa retained his Kimilili parliamentary seat with a commanding margin, while Ford Kenya swept the Bungoma governorship.
Analysts say those results underscore Wetang’ula’s influence and his final word could determine whether Barasa’s return to Ford Kenya is a political rebirth or a dead end.
Wetang’ula’s Kingmaker Dilemma — Brother or Loyal Soldier?
For more than two decades, Moses Wetang’ula has been the ultimate kingmaker in Bungoma, his endorsements often deciding who rises and who falls.
Now, 2027 has placed him at the crossroads of his career — caught between loyalty to his party and loyalty to his blood.
The Brother Factor:
Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi, Wetang’ula’s younger brother, has stormed into the Bungoma race with unprecedented backing from county legislators.
His entry turns a succession battle into a family showdown.
The Kingmaker’s Shadow:
Wetang’ula’s nod was decisive in 2022, when Ford Kenya’s Kenneth Lusaka reclaimed the governorship.
Today, the same political weight could either cement Wanyonyi’s candidacy or rescue Barasa from the brink.
Sibling Politics in Kenya:
Wetang’ula’s dilemma mirrors a familiar Kenyan script.
ODM leader Raila Odinga and his elder brother, Oburu Oginga, have long navigated the politics of blood and ballot — carefully balancing family ambition with party strategy.
Bungoma may now see its own version of this test.
The Risk:
Endorsing Wanyonyi could fracture Ford Kenya’s grassroots while backing Barasa might spark rifts within Wetang’ula’s own household.
Either way, the party leader’s decision will redraw Bungoma’s political map.
In Bungoma, Wetang’ula has never just been a party leader but he has been the referee.
This time, the referee is being asked to choose between his brother and his soldier.
