The battle for the soul of Bungoma County has taken a vicious turn as Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa launched a scathing attack on Deputy Governor Jenipher Mbatiany, dismissing her 2027 gubernatorial ambitions as a strategic decoy. In a fiery address in Kapsokwony, Barasa alleged that Mbatiany is being used as a political pawn by Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi to split the vote in the vote-rich Mt Elgon region.

Barasa’s outburst follows Mbatiany’s recent declaration that she intends to succeed her boss, Governor Ken Lusaka, when his term expires. The Kimilili lawmaker, who has also declared his interest in the top county seat, argues that Mbatiany’s candidacy is not born of genuine ambition but is a sponsored project designed to weaken his stronghold. He claims that Wanyonyi, realizing the Mt Elgon bloc was solidifying behind Barasa, recruited the Deputy Governor to act as a spoiler.

The Mt Elgon Factor

Mt Elgon has long been a decisive swing vote in Bungoma politics, and Barasa views himself as the region’s de facto kingpin. His anxiety over Mbatiany’s entry reveals the fragility of tribal arithmetic in the county. By fielding a candidate from the Sabaot community, Barasa argues, his opponents hope to peel away a significant chunk of his support base, thereby handing the advantage to candidates from the populous Bukusu community.

“After realizing that Mt Elgon is my stronghold, they began scratching their heads on how to finish me,” Barasa told a crowd of supporters. “They saw the only way was to bring Mbatiany to spoil the votes, whether she wins or loses. Tim Wanyonyi has ‘bought’ Jenipher and told her to come and disturb me here in Mt Elgon.”

• The Contenders: The 2027 race is already crowded, with Governor Ken Lusaka retiring. The key players include Didmus Barasa, Tim Wanyonyi, Jenipher Mbatiany, and former Governor Wafula Wangamati, who is seeking a comeback.
• The Spoiler Theory: Barasa’s 'Trojan Horse' theory relies on the assumption that a divided Sabaot vote benefits a Bukusu candidate like Wanyonyi or Wangamati.
• Mbatiany’s Stance: The Deputy Governor has maintained that her bid is driven by her desire to serve and her experience as the county’s second-in-command, dismissing the notion that she is anyone's project.

A War of Words

The intensity of Barasa’s rhetoric signals that the gloves are off well ahead of the official campaign period. His characterization of Mbatiany as a candidate brought in merely to “hangesha” (disturb) him reflects the high stakes involved. Barasa insists that he has already made sufficient inroads into Mt Elgon to withstand any vote-splitting attempts, asserting that the region is “fully behind him.”

As political realignments continue, the focus will remain on whether Mbatiany can shake off the “project” tag and build a genuine grassroots movement, or if her candidacy will indeed serve the spoiler role that Barasa fears. For the voters of Bungoma, the drama offers a preview of a bruising contest where clan dynamics and tactical alliances will determine the next occupant of the governor’s mansion.