'He will not vie for president': Wangamati tears into Wetang'ula's 2032 ambition

Former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati has dismissed Speaker Moses Wetang'ula's 2032 presidential bid. [Photos, Standard Team]

Former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati has dismissed National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula's recent declaration that he intends to vie for the presidency in 2032.

Addressing journalists in Bungoma on Sunday, Wangamati claimed Wetang'ula's pronouncement was nothing more than a political tactic meant to keep himself relevant while misleading residents.

"I have seen the National Assembly Speaker moving around this country, saying that he will contest the presidency in 2032. Today I want to respond and tell him that, deep down, he will not do so. He will not vie for president; his agenda is to deceive the people of Bungoma so that he can remain in leadership until 2032," Wangamati stated.

The former county boss pointed to Wetang'ula's political history, noting that despite being well-placed to run in past elections, he always shied away from the top seat.

"In 2013, people expected him to run for president, but instead he joined CORD to support Raila Odinga and ran for senator. The same thing happened in 2017," Wangamati said.

He added that Wetang'ula's record shows "a lack of confidence to go all the way."

He urged Bungoma residents to treat the 2032 pledge as political rhetoric.

"We have given Wetang'ula this story he keeps telling us, that he will contest the presidency in 2032. But it is nothing more than empty talk which the people of Bungoma should not listen to," he said.

Wetang'ula, however, has insisted that his plan to take over after President William Ruto's term ends in 2032 is genuine.

He maintains that the Luhya community's chances of ascending to the presidency depend on rallying behind Ruto in 2027.

"When you want to be a leader, you must allow other people to use your shoulders to climb to power so that when your time arrives, they will also give you their shoulder to climb," Wetang'ula said.

The Speaker further underlined his political influence by recalling how he secured the Bungoma senatorial seat in 2022 without mounting a conventional campaign.

"Personally, I won the seat without printing even a single poster or billboard. That tells you the kind of acceptance I enjoy among the people," he told a gathering in Bumula.