Senator Khalwale Sends Stern Warning to Governor Barasa as He Eyes 2027 Seat Amid Growing Political Tensions
The escalating political tension between Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale and Governor Fernandes Barasa intensifies as Khalwale sets his sights on dethroning Barasa from the county’s top seat.
Addressing mourners at the funeral of Mama Buronika Mutola Magwaka in Malinya, Kakamega County, the senator cautioned Governor Barasa against causing division within the Luhya community.
“I am warning Barasa to stop sowing division among the Luhya people. I intend to challenge and replace you,” Khalwale declared, citing voter confidence in his leadership and dissatisfaction with Barasa’s governance as his key motivations.
Khalwale emphasized his desire to unify the community to ensure they reap the benefits of development.
The political rivalry between these prominent Kakamega figures has reached a boiling point, prompting intervention from local MCAs.
Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) representing both the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) have previously urged Senator Khalwale to stop targeting Governor Barasa and instead focus on fulfilling his oversight responsibilities.
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The MCAs also accused Khalwale of using his position to campaign for the governor’s office instead of advocating for increased national resources for the county.
Governor Barasa, meanwhile, has repeatedly accused Senator Khalwale of orchestrating a smear campaign aimed at undermining his leadership.
The feud intensified when Khalwale criticized Barasa for what he claimed was insufficient bursary funding for the wards.
Khalwale argued that the Ksh2 million allocated per ward was inadequate to support promising students from disadvantaged families and proposed increasing the allocation to Ksh20 million per ward.
In response, Governor Barasa defended his administration, stating that each ward had been allocated Ksh4 million, totaling Ksh240 million across the county.
“We have raised the bursary allocation by an additional Ksh2 million to assist more students in the county,” Barasa explained.
Senator Khalwale Sends Stern Warning to Governor Barasa as He Eyes 2027 Seat Amid Growing Political Tensions