Khalwale on Malala deal: I'm just being strategic
Former Senator Boni Khalwale drops his Kakamega gobernatorial bid in favour of Cleophas Malala following consultation with Kenya Kwanza principals; to vie for senate seat.
Former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, who Wednesday bowed out of the county governor race in favour of his successor Cheophas Malala, has described his move as one borne out of a clear strategy.
The deal between Dr Khalwale and Mr Malala came as a boost Deputy President William Ruto and his Kenya Kwanza partners, Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula of Ford Kenya in their own onslaught against Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga, who is the presumptive Azimio la Umoja presidential candidate.
The headache posed by the fight for the governorship ticket by Dr Khalwale who is popularly referred to as the “Bullfighter” by his supporters and Senator Malala had threatened to derail the Kenya Kwanza campaigns in the region.
“I have had to make the sacrifice for the sake of the bigger national interest. I urge my supporters to remain patient because we are being strategic and not want on dwell on small things which will portray us fighting for position. There are bigger things are coming,” said Dr Khalwale of the deal.
Dr Khalwale enjoys a fanatical support in Kakamega among the Idakho and Isukha communities and had made inroads in Malava, which had 82,136 registered voters in the 2017 General Election.
On the other hand, Senator Malala enjoys the support of the youthful population across the county and the coming together of the two politicians could prove an uphill task for the Azimio camp in the region.
Senator Malala is likely to face former Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Chief executive Mr Fernandes Barasa on an ODM ticket.
Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, who is spearheading the ODM campaigns in the region and his team, will now likely be forced to go back to the drawing board to try and counter Kenya Kwanza onslaught in th region after Kakamega Deputy Governor Prof Philip Kutima defected to the Democratic Action Party of Kenya.
Prof Kutima accused Mr Oparanya of abandoning him. His defection could complicate the ODM quest for the governorship seat in the region.
The political landscape in Kakamega is expected to shift after the two political rivals struck a deal at the Deputy President William Ruto’s Karen residence in Nairobi.
In the deal that was made public by Kenya Kwanza Alliance principals and confirmed by the two aspirants, Mr Malala will fight off for the governor's seat while Dr Khalwale will seek to return to the Senate that he abandoned in 2017.
Dr Ruto led Kenya Kwanza co-principals Mudavadi and Wetang'ula in making the deal public.
Following the deal, Kenya Kwanza Alliance will now have one candidate to fight against the dominant ODM party as the race for the Kakamega governorship seat.
On Wednesday, Dr Ruto noted that the decision is part of the sacrifices the Alliance's leaders are seeking to reach for the benefit of the common voter.
'We have to cede ground so that we can deliver the leadership that everyone desires. The two gubernatorial hopefuls made consultations and reached back to us (the principals),'said Dr Ruto, noting that they had reached a deal for a formidable candidate.
'I want to announce that Khalwale has graciously accepted to run for the Senate seat and has ceded ground for Malala to run for the governor's seat.'
Dr Ruto said the deal will see Kakamega County turned into a Kenya Kwanza zone and noted that Dr Khalwale will not go unrewarded.
Mr Mudavadi appreciated what he termed as Dr Khalwale's magnanimity, describing him as a formidable politician.
'We are delighted to have this consensus building. Such decisions are not easyand we cannot afford to be divided,' said Mr Mudavadi, adding that: 'Kakamega will be much richer with the coming together of Malala and Khalwale. We want a decisive victory and their combination will deliver this.'
Mr Wetangúla welcomed the new development and said the decision does not make Dr Khalwale any lesser than Mr Malala.
'Kakamega is a very important county for this country's politics. We are going together as one because friendly fire can have far-reaching consequences. This plan will give us a sweet victory,' said Mr Wetang'ula. “You are better off in a winning team without scoring than scoring in a losing team.'
Senator Malala noted that with the deal, they are now going into the election as a united team and promised a tough fight against their competitors.
'Our principals have mediated our team and I want to thank my political father (Khalwale). Now we expect a serious fight against our opponents. We will up our game so as to beat them,'said Mr Malala.
On his part, Dr Khalwale described the deal as a very exciting moment as it will help realise Dr Ruto's dream of bringing the forgotten majority onto the decision-making table.
'It is not about positions but the destiny of our children. We do this as a way of discussing the people's agenda. I have not stepped down. I have moved up and will present myself as the Senate candidate for Kakamega County,' he said, adding that bigger things are on the way for his supporters.
