Moses Masika Wetang’ula, Speaker of the National Assembly and veteran leader of FORD–Kenya has lost in what was considered safe territory. In the by-election for Chwele–Kabuchai Ward, an independent candidate, Erick Wekesa, triumphed over the FORD-Kenya flagbearer, Vincent Maunda, who enjoyed Wetang’ula’s full backing.
Preliminary results show Wekesa secured approximately 3,700 votes against Maunda’s 1,700 landslide by any measure. The margin signals a resounding rejection of the party establishment, and a vindication for local independent voices.
In the days leading up to the poll, Wetang’ula had personally campaigned for Maunda, urging ward residents to support FORD–Kenya and vowing that new leadership under Maunda would “build on the progress already achieved.”
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Security was also heightened, as he appealed to law-enforcement officers to ensure a peaceful voting day free of intimidation.
Yet, the outcome suggests that voters in Chwele–Kabuchai were unimpressed. The choice of an independent candidate may reflect local discontent perhaps over unmet expectations or a desire for new representation. The defeat is a major blow to Wetang’ula’s political standing and to FORD–Kenya’s grip in the region.
For now, Wekesa’s victory stands as a reminder that even in entrenched strongholds incumbents are vulnerable if they lose touch with grassroots concerns. Maunda, and by extension Wetang’ula, will need to go “back to the drawing board” and reckon with the reasons why the electorate turned away from party loyalty.
It remains to be seen how this upset will ripple through local and national politics —but one thing is clear: in Kabuchai, the people have spoken.
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