Ford K seeks Wiper help to capture senatorial seat

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale addresses sugarcane cutters at Mumias Cultural Centre in Mumias on September 16, 2016. He said on September 24, 2016 in Mombasa that Ford Kenya would field candidates in all elective seats except the presidency. PHOTO | ISAAC WALE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Dr Khalwale asked Mr Omar to grab the offer so that he could benefit from Ford Kenya’s support in the county to floor Mr Joho.
  • He said next year’s General Election should be free and fair and devoid of malpractices that might cause violence reminiscent of the 2007/2008 polls.

Ford Kenya Deputy Leader Boni Khalwale on Saturday asked the Wiper Democratic Movement to support its candidate for the Mombasa senatorial seat, Mr Yasri Bajabir.

In return, Ford Kenya would back Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar for the governor’s seat against the incumbent, ODM’s Hassan Joho, Dr Khalwale said.

Speaking to university student leaders at Khamis Secondary School in Mombasa, Dr Khalwale asked Mr Omar to grab the offer so that he could benefit from Ford Kenya’s support in the county to floor Mr Joho.

“Politics is, scratch my back and I scratch yours. I am telling my friend Omar that his party should not field any candidate for the senatorial seat but instead support our Ford Kenya aspirant,” he said.

The Kakamega senator said the party would field candidates in all elective seats except the presidency, where the three principals would compete for the Cord coalition ticket.

“Apart from the presidential candidate, our party will field candidates based on mutual understanding with our coalition partners to share certain seats, especially in urban areas where there is a cosmopolitan population,” he added.

Dr Khalwale said next year’s General Election should be free and fair and devoid of malpractices that might cause violence reminiscent of the 2007/2008 polls.

He asked the Office of the Attorney-General, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission and the National Treasury to hasten the exit of the current Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners by agreeing on their send-off package.

“As it stands now, nothing is moving although the Joint Parliamentary Select Committee came up with amendments to facilitate the process,” he said.

On the SGR project, Dr Khalwale appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta to ensure the railway line went beyond Kenyan borders to Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan for good returns.

“Otherwise, the envisaged job creation could be stillborn against the ever-increasing university educated youthful population in Kenya,” he added.

Earlier, the senatorial aspirant, Mr Bajabir, said his intention to vie for the position was informed by the way the youths and women have been neglected by the current leadership.

He added that most university students in the county were languishing in poverty due to lack of resources to facilitate their studies.