NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 14 – Kanduyi lawmaker Wafula Wamunyinyi and his counterpart from Tongaren Eseli Simiyu were Tuesday named as Party Leader and Secretary General respectively of a newly unveiled regional party.
The Democratic Action Party of Kenya’s (DAP-K) membership is mostly made up of a breakaway faction from Senator Moses Wetangula’s FORD- Kenya Party.
Soon after the outfit was unveiled at a convention held at Nairobi’s Bomas of Kenya, DAP-K announced its decision to join the Azimio la Umoja Movement, an ODM-led alliance supporting former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s 2022 presidential bid.
Wamunyinyi and Simiyu assumed the leadership slots after the delegates conference ratified resolutions announced at the convention.
DAP-K also ratified the party constitution.
The duo had unsuccessfully attempted a coup within FORD-Kenya before bolting out with several branch officials to form a new party.
“We have complied with current regulations by the Registrar of Political Parties and IEBC. We are ready for election, let’s join hands and steer this vehicle forward,” said David Muchele, the party’s inaugural Chairperson.
Odinga launched Azimio La Umoja Movement during the final Azimio la Umoja convention on December 10, when he formally declared his candidature.
Key leaders who graced the DAP-K event Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, his Agriculture counterpart Peter Munya, Busia Governor Sospeter Ojamoong and former minister Noah Wekesa.
The formation of the regional outfit is seen as an attempt to wrestle western region’s leadership from Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi who is considered the de facto kingpin.
Mudavadi has remained noncommittal on supporting Odinga’s candidature and has often times decried attempts by unnamed State operatives to force top politicians to back the ODM leader’s candidature.
A founder member of the defunct National Super Alliance (NASA) which supported Odinga’s 2017 bid, Mudavadi has remained vocal against attempts by the elite to craft 2022 alliances.
The ANC party leader alongside FORD-Kenya’s Moses Wetangula and Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka, snubbed Odinga’s convention on December 10, with confidants indicating the leaders did not want to be boxed into endorsing Odinga.
