Kimilili Member of Parliament Didmus Barasa has formally withdrawn his political support from National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, saying the veteran Bungoma politician should step back from county politics. In a long statement posted on his social media pages, Barasa said he was now separating himself from the Ford Kenya leader and his family, and that he would focus on building his own team ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The statement is one of the strongest signs yet that the long-running political alliance between the two men has fallen apart. Barasa and Wetang'ula have been tied together for years, and for a long time Barasa was seen as a leader who relied on the Speaker's backing to move up in Bungoma. Now, in his own words, that relationship is over.
In the post, Barasa said his decision was not driven by insults or personal anger. He called it a principled move meant to protect the unity and future of the people of Bungoma. He also said he understood that Wetang'ula's bond with his brother, Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi, came before politics, and that family loyalty was natural. But he argued that leadership needs clear direction, and that he could no longer stand with a leader he believed was quietly supporting Wanyonyi's side while also appearing to stand with President William Ruto at the national level.
The biggest source of tension, according to Barasa, is the Bungoma governor race. He said Wetang'ula's approach to politics depends on picking people he wants to protect, which he described as a style that weakens local leaders who might otherwise rise on merit. Barasa said he prefers a system where voters choose their leaders freely, without a single figure deciding who gets to win. He also said Bungoma is a democracy and not a family-run kingdom, a line that clearly targets the belief that the county's politics has been shaped by one powerful household for decades.
Barasa also accused Wetang'ula of mishandling a 30 per cent share that he says was handed to the Speaker under a memorandum of understanding, claiming the money and benefits went mainly to close family members. These are serious claims, and they are Barasa's allegations. At the time of writing, we have not been able to get a response from Wetang'ula or his office on this matter, and readers should treat the claims as his position alone.
The timing of this split is not an accident. Over the past year, Wetang'ula's grip on Bungoma politics has looked weaker than before. In late 2025, he lost his home ward of Chwele-Kabuchai in a by-election, a result many saw as a sign that voters were no longer simply following the instructions of their longtime leader. After that loss, Barasa himself said the people of Chwele had taught him a lesson, namely that residents would no longer depend on long-serving leaders to tell them how to vote.
Barasa has also been trying to win the governor's seat on his own terms. Earlier reports showed that he had threatened to go back to the United Democratic Alliance, the party that sponsored him to Parliament in 2022, if Wetang'ula did not back his bid. He later declared that he would run for the seat on a UDA ticket in the 2027 General Election. In his latest statement, he confirmed that UDA is the political vehicle he will use, and said he plans to build strong grassroots structures and forge alliances with local parties and leaders who share his vision.
Those alliances appear to be already taking shape. Reports from September this year showed that several Ford Kenya leaders who had earlier backed Tim Wanyonyi were moving their support to Barasa. Among them was a leader who publicly praised Barasa's plans to build early childhood education centres and said he believed the Kimilili MP was ready to lead the county. This suggests that Barasa is not left alone, as some of his critics once claimed. He is building a team that is slowly growing beyond his own constituency.
Wanyonyi, for his part, has been seen as the favourite of many within Ford Kenya and the wider Wetang'ula camp. He has argued that Wetang'ula's return to county politics would be a step backwards for Bungoma, and his supporters say the family's experience is exactly what the county needs. Barasa's statement is therefore not just about one politician. It is a sign of a deeper fight over who will shape Bungoma's future and whether one family's influence can still decide the outcome of elections in the county.
Some political observers say Barasa is taking a big risk. Wetang'ula has been influential in Bungoma since 2013, and many leaders who opposed him in the past lost their seats. Critics may argue that Barasa is too quick to attack the man who helped build his political career. Others, however, believe that the Speaker's grip is weakening and that Barasa is simply reading the mood of the county correctly. Whichever view turns out to be right, the coming months will show whether voters follow the old power structure or start to choose new leaders.
It is also worth noting the national angle. Both Barasa and Wetang'ula say they support President Ruto and the Broad-Based Government agenda. This means the fight is not about national politics but about local power in Bungoma. Barasa has said that, at the national level, the two men share the same direction, but that their ideas for the county are completely different. That is why he believes they must part ways.
For ordinary residents of Bungoma, the split raises important questions. Voters will want to know which candidate can deliver better roads, health services, schools, and jobs, and whether the rivalry between these leaders will make it harder for the county to move forward. Many Bungoma residents have complained for years about poor healthcare and slow development, and both sides will be expected to answer those concerns in a clear and honest way.
As the 2027 race heats up, the next steps will be closely watched. Wetang'ula is expected to respond, and his side may decide whether to defend his record or to hit back at Barasa. The party nominations and the choice of candidates will also play a big role in shaping the contest.
0 Comments