Ken Lusaka dismisses calls to vie for Bungoma Senate seat

Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka has dismissed reports that he is eyeing the Bungoma senatorial seat in the 2022 General Elections.

The Speaker said residents of Bungoma County know which seat he will run for, and asked those spreading the rumours to stop.

A section of Bungoma leaders allied to Governor Wycliffe Wangamati, led by his deputy Charles Ngome, have publicly appealed to Mr Lusaka to go for the seat currently held by Mr Moses Wetang'ula.

Mr Lusaka, who spoke on Saturday in Ndalu, Tongaren Constituency, said he does not need introduction to Bungoma politics and that the residents are intelligent enough to know which seat he will run for.

“I am currently the Speaker of the Senate. How is it possible that in the next Parliament I am the one asking the Speaker for permission to speak? That will be tantamount to engaging the reverse gear. I am not going for senatorial seat," Mr Lusaka said.

He was speaking during the funeral of Mama Gertrude Naliaka, mother of National Treasury CAS Eric Wafukho, which was also attended by Planning PS Saitoti Torome and Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa.

Face Wangamati

Mr Lusaka was responding to remarks made a week ago by the Bungoma deputy governor who pleaded with him to vie for county’s senatorial seat.

Political analysts have said that Governor Wangamati will faces a huge task of recapturing his seat if Mr Lusaka contests for it.

Governor Wangamati, a Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) promoter, suffered a blow after the BBI push was defeated at the Court of Appeal on Friday.

It was hoped that with an expanded executive, Lusaka could remain at the national level, giving Mr Wangamati an easy route for re-election.

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