Governor Natembeya with Speaker Moses Wetang’ula….Photo/IP
BUNGOMA, Kenya
By James Wekesi
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has sparked intense political tension in Western Kenya after declaring that his faction will make a major political declaration at the upcoming burial of veteran politician Mzee Patrick Wangamati.
Speaking at Khachonge in Bungoma County while condoling with the bereaved family, Natembeya accused rival political figures while not mentioning names of hypocrisy and warned that the funeral scheduled for May 30 would mark the end of several prominent political careers.
Warning Against ‘Crocodile Tears’
Natembeya took direct aim at local leaders who fell out with the late former Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Kenya (Ford-Kenya) nominated Member of Parliament, claiming these rivals are now pretending to mourn him.
“On the 30th, there are people coming to shed crocodile tears at the burial of Mzee Patrick Wangamati,” Natembeya said. “When the crocodile is happy, it sheds tears.”
The governor further alleged that some of the expected VIP dignitaries previously mistreated the deceased leader.
“We know there are people who tortured the deceased and even demolished his house in Bungoma town. We will remind them all these things. You can injure a person while he is alive and then love him in death,” Natembeya added.
“On that day we will know who the real friends of the late are. I am not in the pretence games.”
A Promised Showdown
Natembeya urged residents to turn up in large numbers to witness what he described as a definitive turning point for the nation’s political landscape.
“On Saturday, we are going to come with bold men here. People who are going to run the politics of Western Kenya and the country,” Natembeya stated.“We will make a declaration as we bury our father that you are either with us or not. We will be burying political CVs of some people.”
The governor promised to deliver his message directly to his senior rivals without pulling punches or hiding behind diplomacy.
“Those people who sat on us for a very long time will get their message that they have worked for us enough to get retirement,” he said. “We will not backbite them but tell them in their face to pack and leave.”
Natembeya also pointed out past political sabotage within the region as a primary reason for his aggressive stance.
“These same people campaigned for Governor Wangamati and decampaigned him. He was given an appointment but they fought him until he lost the job. They should not hide under the veil of politics to hurt others, that’s not proper politics. On that day I will come with a syllabus to teach people what real politics is all about.”
The Rise of the ‘Tawe’ Movement
The political friction centers around the “Tawe” Movement, a political initiative spearheaded by Governor Natembeya.
Derived from the Luhya word for “No,” the movement frames itself as a rejection of traditional political gatekeeping, bad governance and economic stagnation in the region.
Through this platform, Natembeya has mobilized voters by directly challenging National Assembly Speaker Dr. Moses Wetang’ula and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
Natembeya argues that despite the Luhya community representing one of the largest voting blocs in Kenya, its senior leaders have historically negotiated for personal state appointments rather than collective regional development.
Ford-Kenya Strikes Back
The aggressive expansion of the Tawe movement has drawn sharp condemnation from the Ford-Kenya party establishment, which views the initiative as a deliberate attempt to fracture regional unity.
Rallying behind Wetang’ula, Ford-Kenya lawmakers and loyalists have dismissed Natembeya’s onslaught as reckless power-hunting.
Party defenders maintain that Wetang’ula holds an undisputed status as the regional kingpin.
“We have young leaders in this country who have no values, and one of them is Natembeya,” stated a key Wetang’ula ally.“He is so power-hungry that he imagines the only way to dominate the region is to create friction. Wetang’ula’s politics is way above this level and the people of Western Kenya respect his years of dedicated leadership.”
High-Stakes Escalation
The upcoming burial is expected to attract high-profile guests, including President William Ruto,Speaker Wetang’ula,high ranking national and international guests.
The occasion threatens to turn into a direct political battlefield between Ford-Kenya and the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K).
Mzee Wangamati’s son, former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati, previously fell out with the Ford-Kenya brigade after an unsuccessful internal coup against Wetang’ula.
The younger Wangamati subsequently decamped to DAP-K, later losing his gubernatorial seat to the current Ford-Kenya candidate, Governor Ken Lusaka.
Natembeya, who won his Trans Nzoia seat on a DAP-K ticket, has sustained a long-running political feud with Wetang’ula, frequently accusing the speaker of orchestrating regional political sabotage against opponents.
The push for youthful leadership is backed by a coalition of younger Western Kenya legislators led by Edwin Sifuna and Natembeya.
Natembeya and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna have openly declared a political war aimed at retiring the region’s veteran kingpins.
Other regional lawmakers—including Bumula MP Jack Wamboka, Saboti MP Caleb Amisi,Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi—have joined the onslaught.
Wamboka recently accelerated the dispute during a public gathering at Khasoko in Bumula, dismissing Wetang’ula’s future presidential ambitions as a “pipe dream” and pledging instead to back Sifuna.
“Wetang’ula is not weak.Natembeya should not mistake a rained on lion to be a cat.Wetang’ula is a calculative and strategic leader that understands when to pounce on the prey.Natembeya should pray that he doesnot fall victim of Wetas political cobweb,” said John Mukhamule a resident of Ranje in Kanduyi constituency.
