For Monday evening, when the votes cast in the by-election were counted, Dr Bonny Khalwale of New Ford Kenya was back in Parliament to complete his second term. The doctor-turned-politician garnered 13,208 votes against Orange Democratic Movement’s Bernard Shinali, who polled 10,702 votes. The gap between the two who were billed to be neck-and-neck by pundits was 2,506 votes.
The man, who in his first term often ran away with the unofficial title of one-man opposition that Mr Martin Shikuku used to bear in the 1970s, buried the Ford-People candidate Mr Collins Kizito Matemba in an avalanche of 12,915 votes!
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| New Ford Kenya candidate Dr Bonny Khalwale cast his vote at Malinya Primary School polling station in Ikolomani constituency, Monday morning. Photos: Benjamin Sakwa/Standard |
A court ruling in February that there were glaring malpractices in his re-election in 2007 interrupted the current term of the politician who loves and takes part in a dangerous and bloody animal sport — where the losing bull could easily be gored to death or left gasping for life with broken limbs or torn ribs.
In the dance and ululation in the counting hall as well as his embrace of victory, Khalwale cast the image of the literal bull that had gored its rivals and fought his way to victory in the ring.
It seemed lost to him that in another 14 months he would be facing another election.
"This was a defining moment for my career and my community in general because had I lost the by-election, I would not have had any reason to vie for any other position," said Khalwale as he thanked the Ikolomani electorate for sending him back to Parliament.
There were 63 polling stations where 24,592 ballots were cast, with 24203 votes certified valid and 389 votes rejected.
Khalwale’s win, which was backed by Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa and a coterie of Western politicians led by Housing Minister Soita Shitanda, Nominated MP Musikari Kombo, and Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo, appeared to be a symbolic message to politicians considered ‘outsiders’ there was no room for other bulls to gambol in their turf.
Specifically, his triumph and Shinali’s loss was a bitter pill forced down the throat of Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, the ODM game-master in Western Kenya. But even more poignant, the humiliation was meant for Prime Minister Raila Odinga, whose flag Mudavadi flew in the region during the last election, and who is expected to carry on the same burden for his party leader in next year’s election.
Indeed, Monday evening Khalwale was gloating in a victory, which he defined as a triumph over Raila’s ODM, and his words summed up what was at stake in the by-election: "My victory is a clear message to the Prime Minister that if he has to come to Western he will be working on our terms and not his terms any more."
ODM’s broken heart was discernible from the fact that when the results were announced, and with the signs having been on the wall for the final hours of the tallying, most of its heavyweights had left — even the candidate himself. The only notable ODM face still around as New Ford People began savouring its victory was Assistant minister Yusuf Chanzu, who, however, left before the official results were announced.
The tallying centre was at Makhokho Secondary School and the Returning Officer was Mr Benjamin Tarus.
Standing witness to Khalwale’s victory in the hall on Monday evening, were Wamalwa and Shitanda.
Shitanda warned Mudavadi that Kakamega County had now given a clear signal they do not want people from Vihiga County (where the DPM hails from) to come and dictate to them on what to do. "They have made up our minds to liberate our people from dictatorship which they have been captive for a long time," added Shitanda.
Whereas Raila’s group argued the people of Ikolomani should vote for Shinali because he belonged to a bigger national party with more accommodation room for its followers in Parliament, regional interests seemed to have overcome this argument.
By electing Khalwale, the people of Ikolomani seemed to cast their lot with the political drive by the MP-elect’s friends such as Wamalwa and Shitanda who have argued that it is time Western Province (meaning members of the Luhya), walked out of the shadows of ‘outsider’ political bigwigs such as Raila, and gun for the Presidency.
In this imagery, it is Wamalwa who wants to run for Presidency, because of perception that Mudavadi will never try take on Raila. And among those urging him on are Khalwale, Kombo, Shitanda and Jirongo — and their rallying cry is that Western should end the charade of being used to produce running mates.
In this they mean what the late Kijana Wamalwa, who is Eugene’s elder brother and former Vice President, was to Kibaki in 2002, and what Mudavadi was to Raila in ODM in 2007. Incidentally, the Vice President of Kenya, as Mudavadi chose to be Raila’s running mate in last election, was Moody Awori — another son of Western Kenya — who kept trying to charm the electorate with claims he was Kibaki’s running mate. He, however, lost to Raila’s pointman, Dr Paul Otuoma, in Funyula.
During the campaign period, Shinali’s argument was Ikolomani should side with ODM because it was imprudent to stick to a ‘small’ and ‘insignificant’ parliamentary party like New Ford Kenya.
Khalwale on the other hand argued he needed the position to advance his political career, to the benefit of the region.
On Monday, after casting his vote, Khalwale said: "This election will act as the breaking ground for bigger things to come in 2012."
Up until nullification of his election, Khalwale was the Chairman of the powerful Public Accounts Committee. The committee has acted as the official opposition in the absence of a real one following formation of the coalition Government.
And Khalwale is set to bounce back to his position as PAC chairman, which has been held in acting capacity by Konoin MP Dr Julius Kones since his election was annulled.
Dr Khalwale is perceived in some quarters as having become a thorn in the flesh of some top leaders for his constant pressure on governance issues and it is believed some of them wanted him out of Parliament at whatever cost. However, the Ikolomani people have given him a vote of confidence.
Though the Ikolomani seat was not ODM’s, the party’s loss will be seen as a serious indictment of Mudavadi, who is seen as Western Province’s political leader.
Among those who congratulated Khalwale was Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka who said: "As the leader of Government business I welcome him back to continue with his work as Public Accounts Committee Chairman and the lively debates in the House as well."
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