DAP-K warns Savula over remarks on decamping to Ruto's Kenya Kwanza
Azimio leader Raila Odinga, former governor Wycliffe Oparanya, Kakamega deputy Governor Ayub Savula and Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa at Shibuli grounds in Kakamega county on March 26, 2022.
What you need to know:
- The party has distanced itself and disowned Mr Savula's statements terming them as personal views and not those of the party.
- The immediate former Lugari MP and deputy party leader of DAP-K recently hinted at ditching the Azimio One Kenya coalition for President Ruto's Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
- Party resolved to sponsor former Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi to run for the Bungoma Senate seat formerly occupied by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula.
The Democratic Action party of Kenya (DAP-K) leadership has warned Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula over his remarks that he will take its supporters to President William Ruto’s camp.
The party has distanced itself and disowned Mr Savula's recent statements of moving with DAP-K supporters to President Ruto's camp, terming them as personal views and not those of the party.
The immediate former Lugari MP and deputy party leader of DAP-K recently hinted at ditching the Azimio One Kenya coalition for President Ruto's Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
Speaking in Lugari, Mr Savula said that the Jubilee Government had frustrated him a lot for supporting Ruto's bid forcing him to ditch his loyalty from the UDA party leader to ODM boss Mr Raila Odinga in the August 9, 2022 elections.
However, DAP-K has told the DG to cease and desist from issuing misleading statements, allegedly on behalf of the party.
DAP-K Secretary General Mr David Eseli Simiyu, in a statement, threatened that the party would take firm action against Mr Savula if he does not desist from what it termed as theatrics.
"After a national executive council meeting held in Nairobi, DAP-K wants to assure its Kakamega county and Western Kenya region members that we are firmly in Azimio One Kenya coalition and we will discharge our role effectively as the minority and opposition," he said.
He said DAP-K does not wish to be part of the Kenya Kwanza Government and is comfortable with the role of keeping it in check.
Dr Simiyu said any attempts to reach out to the party's NEC members to coarse, cajole or bribe them to join Kenya Kwanza shall be strongly resisted.
“If any member wants to, they can leave DAP-K officially and join the other camp to avoid severe action against them by the party," he said.
Dr Eseli further urged members of DAP-K to maintain discipline as a party, noting that it will invoke its disciplinary measures against any member who flouts its Constitution, the Kenya Constitution, the Political Parties Act and any other relevant laws.
The former Tongaren MP also revealed that the party’s NEC resolved to sponsor former Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi to run for the Bungoma Senate seat, which fell vacant after Ford Kenya party leader Moses Wetang’ula was elected Speaker of the National Assembly.
The party asked its members to focus on mobilising numbers for their candidate in the Bungoma senatorial race, noting that the Supreme Court had, in its presidential election petition verdict determined that elections were all about numbers.
"Many members who ran in the last General Election and lost were ready to file petitions but did not do so because of the Supreme Court ruling which implied that an election will be allowed to stand so long as the numbers favour the winner, and the process of arriving at that number doesn't matter,” he said.
“So members should be ready for a flawed process in the upcoming senatorial by-election. They should concentrate on getting the numbers, including but not limited to getting those that count the numbers even after talking to voters."
