Cracks in Ford Kenya as Kabuchai MP plots to unseat Wetang'ula

Ford Kenya Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga (left) and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula (at Chwele market, on March 1, 2020. [[File, Standard]

A simmering row in Ford Kenya has erupted after Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga publicly declared his intention to challenge National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula for the party’s leadership after the 2027 General Election.

Speaking at his home in Bungoma on Monday, Kalasinga said he would not be forced out of the party despite the mounting pressure and threats from senior officials loyal to Wetang’ula.

“I am in Ford Kenya, and I will remain here until the day they decide to remove me officially,” he said, adding, “This is my political home, and I will not be intimidated into leaving.”

The open rebellion marks a dramatic escalation in a feud that began after Kalasinga voted against the controversial Finance Bill 2024.

The MP insisted that his vote was in line with the wishes of his constituents.

He claimed that Wetang’ula turned against him for defying the party position on the Bill.

“When I rejected the Finance Bill, I was acting in line with the interests of my constituents,” he said. “My duty is to protect the people, not to massage the ego of party leaders.”

Last week, Wetang’ula, while addressing Ford Kenya delegates at his Namuyemba home, accused the Kabuchai MP of betraying the party.

“During the Kabuchai by-election, together with my parents we voted for Majimbo. Now he has started disrespecting the very party that held his hand and helped him ascend to Parliament,” he said.

But the MP dismissed the remarks as intimidation and accused Wetang’ula of issuing veiled threats.

He urged Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to probe the Speaker’s statements, alleging that goons had been planted in Kabuchai to disrupt campaigns ahead of the Chwele/Kabuchai ward by-election set for November.

“In his speech, my big brother Moses Wetang’ula said that during the upcoming Chwele/Kabuchai ward by-election, I will not be there. I want him to come out clear and tell the country what exactly he meant,” Kalasinga  said.

Ford Kenya has fielded Vincent Maunda for the Chwele/Kabuchai race, but Kalasinga has thrown his weight behind independent candidate Eric Wekesa, a move that has further fractured the party’s grassroots support.

The MP also pointed to the leasing of the Nzoia Sugar Company as another source of conflict between him and the party leadership.

“The leasing of Nzoia Sugar is ironic. The President himself said Rai Group should stop harassing farmers, but the same company was approved for the multi-billion leasing tender. When I spoke against it, they branded me a rebel,” he said.

Several Members of the County Assembly from Kabuchai have urged Kalasinga to support the Ford Kenya candidate instead of working against the party’s interests. They accused the MP of undermining party unity for personal gain.

Former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati has come to  Kalasinga ’s defense, accusing Wetang’ula of fostering divisions within the county.

“Through his own speech, Wetang’ula has confirmed that he is the father of chaos in this county. Bungoma residents must reject Ford Kenya because they are the reason this county is lagging behind in development,” Wangamati said.

As Bungoma braces for another heated political season, the clash between Wetang’ula and  Kalasinga could shape the region’s political landscape and test Ford Kenya’s unity ahead of the 2027 elections.