Senator Khalwale quits UDF, declares interest in governorship

Kakamega Senator Bonny Khalwale has decamped from the United Democratic Forum (UDF) and joined Ford Kenya in preparation for the 2017 elections.

Khalwale won the senate seat on a UDF party ticket in 2013, which was then under the leadership of presidential candidate Musalia Mudavadi who has since moved to Amani National Congress (ANC).

The outspoken senator has also announced that he will be running for Kakamega governorship seat under Ford Kenya ticket.

The current development sets up a grueling battle between Khalwale and the current Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya who is a member of ODM.

Notably, the entry of Khalwale into Ford Kenya makes him a bona fide member of Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD), a coalition he has been affiliated with for over two years now.

“Governor Oparanya is in ODM and he should therefore rest easy because I will not compete with him in ODM. Instead, he will run for governorship on an ODM ticket while I run for the seat on a Ford Kenya ticket.”

Khalwale further stated: “Since we are both members of CORD, it will be upon the voters to decide who their next governor will be.”

However, if CORD chooses to field a single candidate in the race, the coalition will need to hold extensive consultations to reach a concession between the two candidates to avoid any possibilities of a last year shift in party allegiance.

@benjaminwafula