Lugari MP Ayub Savula has stepped down from his Kakamega County gubernatorial bid and will back up Former Ketraco CEO Fernandes Barasa.
In a power-sharing deal brokered in the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance yet to be made official, Savula is to step down and deputize former KETRACO CEO Fernandes Barasa in a bid to succeed Wycliffe Opranya as Kakamega County Governor.
Savula, on his Twitter account, accepted the deal and said his union with Mr. Barasa is a sure victory.
“I accept. I Ayub Savula Angatia; BEING OF A SOUND MIND do accept to be FERNANDES BARASA’s running mate. With my understanding of the psychology and terrain of Kakamega, we can rest assured of a decisive victory. By all accounts the Barasa-Savula ticket is SURE BET on August 9th,” he wrote.
ODM communications chief Philip Etale said the Barasa-Savula candidature was a sure win.
“Kakamega deserves serious leaders, not crybabies,” he wrote.
In the new deal, Kakamega County women representative for DAP-K Naomi Shiyonga is expected to drop her bid in favor of the incumbent Elsie Muhanda, who is an ODM aspirant.
The DAP-K is also expected not to field any MP aspirants in Kakamega County while ODM will have to withdraw MP, senatorial and gubernatorial candidates in Trans Nzoia and Bungoma counties.
This comes a day after the Western Kenya Azimio la Umoja campaign team headed by Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya was formed.
In the past few days, Savula has notably reduced his rigorous campaigns. The move to make him deputize Fernandes Barasa has been seen by political analysts as a brillaint one to tackle the might of Cleophas Malala of the Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
Sam Oduor is the editor-in-chief at the Western Kenya Times who leverages the power of the Internet in telling stories that shape opinions.
