Ford-Kenya party leaders in Mt Elgon sub-county have endorsed Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka for Bungoma governor’s seat in 2022 polls.
While addressing residents of Kamukuywa in Kimilili constituency last week, Mr Lusaka said he will be running for the county's top seat.
Mr Lusaka, who lost to Governor Wycliffe Wangamati in the 2017 polls, said many residents have been asking him to go for the seat.
Party leader Moses Wetang’ula has also indicated that he will support Mr Lusaka to dislodge Wangamati whom he fell out with after the May 2021 botched party coup. The coup had been sponsored by the governor and MPs Eseli Simiyu (Kimilili) and Wafula Wamunyinyi (Kanduyi).
Mr Wetang’ula said that preparations to bring on board Mr Lusaka will be finalised after the party's National Delegates Conference (NDC) on November 4 at the Bomas of Kenya, Nairobi.
On Friday, Mt Elgon Ford-Kenya party officials led by Chairman Peter Mudogo pledged to back Mr Lusaka for the governor’s seat during the opening of a pa party office in Kapsokwony.
He said that Lusaka had initiated many development projects in the constituency and had even picked his deputy Hillary Chongwony from the region.
“Mr Lusaka is an experienced administrator and we want him back to fix the mess by governor Wangamati,” he said.
Mr Mudogo said they stand behind party leader Wetang’ula ahead of 2022 polls. He asked the party rebels to show up for the party NDC.
"I want to ask Mr Wamunyinyi if he wants to be the party leader, let him face the delegates," he said.
Mt Elgon Ford-Kenya Women’s Representative Lynette Chemutai said that they were optimistic that the party will produce the next governor.
She accused Wangamati's regime of neglecting Mt Elgon women during appointments to senior positions in the county.
The officials welcomed three new members who had defected from Jubilee, Labour and ODM parties.
Mr Dominic Ngeiywo from Elgon Ward, who defected from Labour Party, said that he moved from the party after their leader Ababu Namwamba neglected them.
“We moved around popularising the Labour party that made Mr Namwaba get a senior state appointment but he has neglected us, Wetangula is a visionary leader who nurtures the youth politically,” he said.
Mr Geoffrey Jungu, an aspirant Kapkateny Ward aspirant who defected from Jubilee party said he will work with Mr Wetang’ula and popularise Ford-Kenya.
Mt Elgon constituency has about 60,000 voters. Area MP Fred Kapondi has been drumming up support for Wangamati's re-election.
