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Citizen Weekly

Monday 9 February 2015

Bungoma early campaigns pit southerners against northerners

Support for businessman Wycliffe Wang’amati for the gubernatorial contest in 2017 went a notch higher after the political adviser to the Trans Nzoia county governor Patrick Khaemba threw his weight behind him for the coveted seat against the incumbent Ken Lusaka.
Speaking during the burial of the late Rose Matasi at Muwomo village, West Bukusu ward of Bumula sub county, Moses Mabonga dismissed the Lusaka administration saying that it had done little in terms of development to warrant re-election.
Mabonga who was supported by the Bungoma Kuppet secretary general Augustine Luketelo asked the residents of Bumula to vote for Wang’amati as the next governor for Bungoma, arguing that the southern part of Bungoma county popularly referred to as the Sudi region, had been given a raw deal and all key appointments had been dished out to people from north Bungoma and Mt Elgon.
“The  governor, deputy governor, minister for public administration, chief of staff, county secretary, director of special programmes, political adviser, chairman  and secretary of the public service board, and the women rep all come from either Mt Elgon or the north and were Lusaka’s cronies when he was a district commissioner, so what are we left with?” asked Mabonga.
Mabonga added that residents of the southern Bumula, Sirisia, Kabuchai, and Kanduyi will support Wang’amati so that resources can be shared equitably within the county.
“All regions should benefit equally from job allocations and devolution of resources but Lusaka’s administration has failed to do that,” he claimed.
The Kuppet secretary general supported said people of Bumula will only support governor Lusaka in the coming general election if he appoints a deputy governor from the region.
“If governor Lusaka wants our support he should choose a running mate from Bumula or Kanduyi or else he should forget his re-election,” Luketelo added
In a quick rejoinder, New Ford Kenya Bungoma treasurer   Benard Chemao dismissed the allegations as baseless and unfounded saying that the Lusaka administration had established many projects that had benefited the community.
Chemao added that  the county government had distributed jobs according to qualifications adding that regional balance had been put into consideration.
“The Sudi people should not complain since Bumula got the ministry of health, Kanduyi and Kabuchai the lion’s share of ministers while Sirisia has the ministers for agriculture, finance and a chief officer,” said the political activist.
Bungoma county is experiencing an early campaign mood that is threatening to split the vast county into two pitting governor Lusaka’s New Ford Kenya who is from the northern part of Bungoma and  Wang’amati of Ford Kenya from the Southern side of the county.

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