Didmus Barasa dumps Wetang’ula, vows to back Ruto and UDA in Bungoma Governor race
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has announced his political break with National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, accusing the Ford Kenya party leader of promoting family interests at the expense of democratic competition and development in Bungoma County.
In a statement issued after what he described as careful reflection and wide consultation, Barasa said he had decided to withdraw his political support for Wetang’ula’s local political direction, arguing that the veteran politician should retire from Bungoma politics after more than three decades in leadership.
Barasa maintained that his decision was not motivated by personal animosity but by ideological differences over the county’s political future, leadership succession and development priorities.
He accused Wetang’ula of maintaining conflicting political interests by publicly supporting President William Ruto at the national level while allegedly allowing political structures associated with his brother, Tim Wanyonyi, to operate within an opposing political formation.
“Leadership demands ideological coherence and strategic clarity,” Barasa said, arguing that the alleged dual political allegiance risked undermining political unity within the ruling broad-based government.
The Kimilili MP further claimed that sections of Ford Kenya’s grassroots leadership, including Members of County Assembly, were demonstrating divided loyalties, creating uncertainty over the party’s political direction in Bungoma.
Barasa argued that Wetang’ula’s relationship with his brother had complicated his ability to work with other political leaders in the county, particularly those seeking to challenge Wanyonyi politically.
He insisted that his criticism of Wanyonyi was strictly political, saying he should be treated as a competitor rather than as Wetang’ula’s brother.
“My engagement with his brother is not in his capacity as his brother, but in his capacity as my political opponent,” he said.
Barasa also accused Wetang’ula of favouring personally preferred candidates in local political contests, arguing that the practice undermined merit, competition and the democratic rights of voters to choose their leaders.
He said Bungoma was not a monarchy where political leadership could be passed down through family connections, insisting that electoral decisions should be guided by the will of the people.
“Bungoma is not a Monarchy. It is a democracy premised on merit, competition, and the sovereign will of the people, not hereditary succession,” Barasa declared.
The MP further questioned how Wetang’ula had managed resources allocated under a memorandum of understanding that he said entitled the region to a 30 per cent share.
Barasa alleged that the allocation had been predominantly distributed to Wetang’ula’s close family associates, with the remainder going to other parts of the country under the justification that Ford Kenya was a national party.
He described the alleged distribution as a failure of political stewardship, although the claims were not independently substantiated in his statement.
Despite the fallout over Bungoma politics, Barasa said he remained firmly aligned with President Ruto and the broad-based government agenda, drawing a distinction between his national political commitments and his disagreements with Wetang’ula over county leadership.
The MP announced that he would now focus on strengthening the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ahead of the 2027 General Election, in which he intends to contest the Bungoma gubernatorial seat.
He said his strategy would involve building grassroots political structures, consolidating support among residents and forging alliances with elected leaders and like-minded political parties, including members of Ford Kenya who share his political vision.
Barasa said his departure from Wetang’ula’s political camp had freed him to campaign against his rivals without what he described as pressure arising from the Speaker’s family ties.
“We must part ways — not because the national vision divided us, but because the local vision did. Not out of bitterness, but out of principle, doctrinal consistency, and clarity of purpose,” he said.
The announcement signals a potential realignment within Bungoma’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections, with Barasa seeking to position himself as a leading challenger for the governor’s office while maintaining support for Ruto at the national level.
