Mumias East MP Washiali, a key Ruto ally, won't run for any seat in 2022

Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali has been area MP for 15 years. [File, Standard]

Deputy President William Ruto’s ally Benjamin Washiali will not defend his Mumias East parliamentary seat in the 2022 General Election.

Washiali, who has been the area MP for the last 15 years confirmed he will not be on the ballot come August 2022.

“It's been an honour serving the people of Mumias East with gratitude. I appreciate you placed your hope and aspirations in me for the last 15 years. I have served diligently; I am grateful for the development strides we've made," Washiali said in a tweet.

“Come August (2022) I will not be running for office."

"It is with much humility that I therefore once again ask the people of Mumias East to elect a leader who will not only better the best that we have achieved and will also be tenacious and zealous in their service delivery,” the MP said in a tweet.

Despite earlier reports showing that the legislator was interested in the Kakamega Senate seat, Washiali clarified he will not be seeking any elective post in the next poll.

Washiali contested and won the seat on a Jubilee ticket but after the Handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga in March 2018, Washiali joined the Ruto’s Tangatanga faction becoming the DP’s defender.

In July 2019 during the raging debate of the Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal, Washiali defended DP Ruto against accusations of being behind the scam, saying he was targeted because of the 2022 election.

“In 2013, they accused Musalia Mudavadi of being behind all scandals, but now they have changed and are attacking Ruto, this is all politics,” he said then.

Six years ago, Washiali hit the headline when he ‘banned’ an unnamed man from attending his funeral should he die before him.

The MP, who hails from a sugar belt area, blamed the said man for stealing sugarcane from helpless farmers, many of whom died after suffering ‘financial stress’.