A quiet family rivalry has erupted into a full-blown political showdown in Bungoma after National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula and his younger brother, Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi, found themselves on opposite sides of the county’s shifting political ground.
The tension escalated following the Chwele–Kabuchai ward by-election, where independent candidate Erick Wekesa trounced Ford Kenya’s Vincent Maunda by more than 4,000 votes a stinging upset that rattled Wetangula’s traditionally strong political base.
During a tour of Bungoma on Monday, December 8, Wanyonyi openly criticised local leaders for “forcing themselves on the people,” a remark widely interpreted as a veiled swipe at his elder brother’s influence over county affairs.
“There are people who believe they can get power by force. In Kabuchai here, when they tried that, it didn’t work,” Wanyonyi said, drawing cheers from a crowd frustrated by what they described as political arrogance.
He accused some Ford Kenya leaders of ignoring grassroots voices and blamed intimidation tactics for the party’s loss. Wanyonyi further claimed that Bungoma was “being auctioned” by those in positions of power who refused to listen to the electorate.
According to the Westlands MP, Ford Kenya turned down an early opportunity to support Wekesa despite assurances that the independent candidate could easily deliver the seat.
“Someone took Erick Wekesa to the Ford Kenya party leader and told him to give the party ticket, and that he would have delivered the seat even without sweating but he refused. You all saw how the election eventually turned out,” Wanyonyi said.
Wanyonyi, who has served Westlands for three consecutive terms, has recently shifted part of his political machinery back to Bungoma, where he plans to run for governor on an ODM ticket. His bid pits him squarely against figures allied to Wetangula, setting the stage for a politically charged family duel.
Ford Kenya which holds the governor, senator, and multiple key county positions — is expected to front its own candidate, potentially turning Bungoma’s 2027 race into a dramatic test of loyalty between the two brothers.
Incumbent Governor Ken Lusaka, Senator Wafula Wakoli, and several senior county leaders were all elected on Ford Kenya tickets, reinforcing the party’s strong footing.
Wanyonyi, who famously stepped down from the Nairobi governor race in 2022 to back Polycarp Igathe under Azimio, now enters the Bungoma contest where he is expected to face former Governor Wycliffe Wangamati and Kiminini MP Didmus Barasa.
Despite the growing speculation, Wetangula has remained publicly silent on his brother’s ambitions, neither endorsing nor acknowledging Wanyonyi’s bid. His silence has only intensified talk of a widening rift in what could become one of the region’s most gripping political battles one that goes beyond party lines and into the heart of a family.
