Former Kakamega Senator Bonny Khalwale has decided not to run for governor of the county, opting instead to support incumbent senator Cleophas Malala.
Deputy President William Ruto announced the latest development, saying it came after intensive deliberations within the alliance aimed at forming a formidable coalition.
According to the DP, the alliance agreed to ratify the two's agreement, and Mr. Khalwale is now scheduled to run for a senatorial seat.
Mr. Malala had been targeting the seat on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, while Dr. Khalwale had been eyeing it on an Amani National Congress (ANC) one.
“I want to announce that for Kakamega County, the honourable Bonny Khalwale has accepted to run for senator and has ceded ground for honourable Cleophas Malala to run for the position of governor of the county,” said Dr Ruto.
"This has resulted from the two's ethos of give and take, sacrifice, and clearly demonstrated leadership acumen," he continued.
In the presence of senior Kenya Kwanza Alliance officials, including ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi, the DP delivered his remarks to the media in Karen, Nairobi.
Dr. Khalwale's decision to withdraw from the gubernatorial contest, according to the UDA presidential candidate, is part of the coalition's effort to form an alliance with leadership capable of addressing Kenya's difficulties and propelling the country forward.
He said the two leaders started the negotiations before they were escalated to the coalition's senior leadership for approval.
"In that attempt, we realized that some of us would have to make concessions and sacrifices in order to form a team that will provide actual plans to move Kenya to the next level," he said.
In the future, he continued, the alliance will form a team around the two leaders in order to create a Kenya Kwanza county in Western Kenya.
"We have committed to forming a team around them, starting with the MCA and Woman Reps, to help Kakamega move forward, and we are convinced that the county will become a Kenya Kwanza county," said the group. He remarked, "We've agreed that his (Khalwale's) sacrifice will not go unnoticed."
Senator Malala Yousafzai, an ardent ally of ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi, recently stated that the county's population should be led by younger people.
Mr. Malala, the county ANC chairman, had gotten into an argument with Dr. Khalwale, Deputy President William's regional point man.
The feud between the two lawmakers is likely to affect the Kenya Kwanza alliance's drive for a majority of seats in an area that has predominantly voted for ODM in previous elections.
"I'm running for governor of Kakamega because we need a leader who can alter the region's livelihoods," he says. I'm one of the young leaders who has fought hard to keep devolution alive, and that is something I'm proud of.
Senator Malala's attitude has sparked sibling rivalry in Kenya Kwanza, setting the stage for a bruising battle ahead. The antagonism now threatens to spill over to the Kenya Kwanza stage after Mr. Malala insisted on Mr. Mudavadi being named Deputy President of the alliance.
He said Mr. Mudavadi and Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang'ula's choice to join forces with DP Ruto on January 23 should be rewarded by offering the ANC leader the role of running mate.
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