Elders drawn from various communities in Trans Nzoia County have vowed to support Jim Nduruchi Wakhungu for the gubernatorial seat barely a month before the August polls.
Speaking after a closed-door meeting held in Kitale, the elders, led by John Ngeywa, said it is Jim Wakhungu who can deliver the county from the ‘sleeping sickness’ it has been experiencing evident from poor development, tribalism, and nepotism for a decade.
The elders also took the chance to accuse Jim Wakhungu’s running mate, Luke Naibei, of deserting him, saying it was wrong for him to run away from his brother (Wakhungu), who ‘stood with him at the needy hour’.
He said nobody will keep on trusting the former Wakhungu’s running mate and accused opponents of deploying tactics of buying Wakhungu’s supporters instead of searching for their own support from the electorate.
“It’s a taboo and a curse to obtain resources from the servant of God and run away. He looked good at first. We didn’t know he had his own mission to leave Wakhungu at a needy hour. He should have sat down with Wakhungu and negotiated because if it is money, that is not an issue here, “said Peter Ndirangu, another elder.
Last month, while joining team George Natembeya who is running for the seat on the DAP-K ticket, Luke Naibei said he had made up his mind after consulting his community. He said he did not want to split the community vote.
The elders promised full support and mobilization of the community to vote for Jim Wakhungu as the second governor.
Jim Wakhungu will be on the ballot without a running mate. His Sabaot community has proposed another one for him in case he clinches power as required by the IEBC.
Mike Musungu is a reporter at Radio Simba in Bungoma and a correspondent of Trans Nzoia County for the Western Kenya Times.
