Ford Kenya deputy party leader Boni Khalwale has laughed off calls by a section of his party leaders to take disciplinary action against him.
This comes after the former Kakamega senator openly declared support for Deputy President William Ruto’s 2022 presidential bid.
On Monday, Khalwale sensationally claimed that his party leader Moses Wetang’ula “pretends during the day and later visits the DP at night”.
“I want to tell the Ford Kenya leadership that their integrity is at stake. Why should they visit Ruto at night and negotiate only to pretend during the day when they go back to Bungoma?” Khalwale said.
This comes a day after Wetang’ula and delegates from Bungoma held a meeting at the party’s headquarters in the county where several leaders castigated Khalwale for supporting Ruto.
Others who came under attack include Bungoma Woman Rep Catherine Wambilianga, Kabuchai MP James Lusweti and a section of elected MCAs who visited the DP in his Sugoi home in December.
However, Khalwale said his decision to reach out to Ruto was informed by the fact that Ford Kenya alone could not produce a President.
He said the party needed to work with other serious presidential candidates.
“Let people not be myopic, the current politics of Kenya entails that only coalitions of sorts will form the government. What can Ford Kenya alone do without working with others?” he posed.
Khalwale challenged other party leaders to come out openly and reveal partners that they are willing to work with rather than rebuking him.
“They should come out and say if not Ruto who do they want to work with? What I am doing is good for the party, the Luhya community, and the country,” he said.
The former Kakamega senator said he was ready for the Ford-Kenya grassroots elections.
He said that will be the time people will know party members are with him in his decision.
During the Ford Kenya delegates meeting over the weekend, Wetang’ula asked all party officials and members to support his 2022 presidential bid and stop supporting others.
“Asking and consulting is not a weakness, we need to speak in one voice, rushing to supporting others is the highest form of indiscipline,” Wetang’ula said.
Party secretary general Simiyu Eseli said that the Jubilee party is trying to rock and cause disunity within their ranks which they won’t accept.
“Jubilee should stay in its lane. Its plans to pick our members and coerce them to support them won’t succeed because we will soon deal with the errant members,” the Tongaren MP said.
Speaking during the delegates meeting in Bungoma on Sunday, it was agreed upon that the top party organ take action against officials and members who have openly made the decision to support other leaders.
“Already the complaint letter is at the party headquarters in Nairobi, we have set up a committee to investigate and take disciplinary action against errant members, ”Simiyu said.