Khangati now gives up guv dream, aims lower – Weekly Citizen

After twice failing to capture the Bungoma gubernatorial seat, Alfred Khang’ati has quit the race.
He was quick to point out that he had not quit politics altogether but would go for a lower seat. His former seat of Kanduyi constituency is being held by Wafula Wamunyinyi.
Khangati explained that after running for the governor’s seat in 2013 and in 2017 general elections, he had discovered that it required a person with big money to mount an effective and decisive campaign.
“People were demanding for money from me everywhere we went and because of lack of funding from ODM party, I was not able to meet the voters’ demands. I would even call off some of the meetings because there was no money to dish out,” he revealed.
In a talkshow on a local radio station, Khangati who also worked in the office of then prime minister Raila Odinga said he had shaken hands with Governor Wafula Wangamati and pledged to support him in his efforts to move the county to the next level.

Khangati

He said he would not interfere with the leadership of Wamunyinyi but would be in the race come the 2022 general elections. “The projects I helped initiate when I was the MP speak for themselves and I will be returning to the electorate to ask them to consider me to serve them for another term,” he added.
Khangati who has since switched to the ruling Jubilee named Mupeli and Mukhaweli primary schools in Bungoma town and the public bus park as some the projects he helped initiate among many others.
The former MP’s withdrawal from the race for the governor’s seat did not, however, come as a surprise since it came after he shook hands with Wangamati as it is alleged that such events come after negotiation.
As much as Khangati’s move could be a relief for Wangamati, the race could still be tight with former governor Kenneth Lusaka still salivating for the county seat. Others include Sirisia MP John Waluke and former Kenya Revenue Authority director Evans Kakai.
Khangati became MP in 2007 general elections after defeating Wamunyinyi only to develop appetite for the governor’s seat where he came second to Lusaka in 2013 and third to Wangamati last year.