BUNGOMA SENATORIAL RACE NARROWS DOWN TO WALTER TRENK OF UDA, WAFULA WAKOLI OF FORD KENYA & OTHERS.

Front-runners

With less than two months to the by-elections, the race for Bungoma Senatorial by-elections has continued to shape up this week when the closing date set by the IEBC for parties to submit lists of aspirants interested in running on their tickets came to an end on Thursday the midnight of 13th.

The IEBC staff stayed up to midnight to serve all the political parties interested in fielding candidates in the mini-polls.

Independent candidates also submitted their preferred symbols late into the night.

Ford Kenya and UDA had attracted a large number of candidates before but that was not the case at close of business Thursday midnight.

It has emerged that out of the over five aspirants who had shown interest in running on the UDA party ticket, only one aspirant, Mr Walter Trenk Mukinginyi had submitted his application to the party. Former Bumula Member of Parliament Hon. Mwambu Mabonga had not submitted his application by close of the exercise thus legally rendering him ineligible to participate in the by-election slated for 8th December 2022.

It now official that UDA has only one aspirant who will automatically get the ticket because he has no opponent and that is non-other than the acting CEO cricket Kenya, Mr. Walter Mukinginyi popularly known as Trenk. 

UDA's Walter Mukinginyi Trenk

FORD Kenya whose candidate is poised to be one of the frontrunners as far as the long history as the predominant party in Bungoma is concerned, had presented one name of Mr. Wafula Wakoli, former personal Assistant to the Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Moses Masika Wetang'ula. 

The other parties which presented candidates included National People Empowerment Union (NOPEU) with Geoffrey Wanyonyi as its candidate & flagbearer to the mini-polls while George Wajackoya's Roots Party presented the name of Robert Sifuna, who was on the ballot on 9th August as a candidate but lost to Moses Wetangula.

The Prime Cabinet Secretary designate, Musalia Mudavadi's ANC had attracted the interest of Mr. John Wanjala, popularly known as Aspro and one youthful candidate, Mr. Raidon Munoko, a new comer in Bungoma politics. It is not clear whether the party presented its aspirants names or not.

On the list of independent candidates,  Julius Masinde, Timothy Kitang'asi Lukorito and James Wekesa presented their symbols with the intention of running as independent candidates. 

The much anticipated duel in the primaries between the numerous aspirants within FORD Kenya and UDA did not materialize as both parties ended up with just one Candidate.

It is emerging and anticipated that the race will be a two horse race between UDA's Walter Trenk who presents a  new face of hope and clear agenda to the people of Bungoma and Ford Kenya's Wafula Wakoli who is finding it difficult to clear off the "Project" tag which might lead to a different scenario on the voting day. 

Ford Kenya's Wafula Wakoli

With UDA being the governing party and with the support it enjoys in the entire County for a reason of it's dalliance with Moses Wetangula and his Ford Kenya, Walter Trenk might be luckier if the ground persists with it's hostility in Wetangula's involvement in the race, many of the UDA supporters calling upon him to keep off the race and let Bungoma residents to freely decide o r alternatively supporting UDA for a reason the party stood with him to realize his dream of becoming the National Assembly speaker.