By Anderson Ojwang’
Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula may have inadvertently returned Kenyans to the politics of 1992, the first multi-party election. In his recent interview, Savula said they were luring Saboti MP Caleb Amisi to President William Ruto’s fold.
He claimed there was a division in the Linda Mwananchi faction in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) of embattled Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, Siaya Governor James Orengo, and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.
In 1992, the opposition then united under the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD) under the doyen, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and the late maverick, son of Oyondi, Martin Shikuku as the Secretary General, alongside other progressive luminaries.
The FORD wave was so strong that it threatened to end the then President, the late Daniel Arap Moi’s helm at the first presidential elections.
The unity of FORD was a nightmare to Moi, and the return of Kenneth Matiba and the massive welcome at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport was all the card the President needed to secure a victory.
Indeed, the arrival of Matiba scuttled the earlier arrangements and the unity in the political outfit. Matiba’s declaration ushered in a new political moment and subsequent split in FORD. Odinga, with his young Turks, formed FORD-Kenya while Matiba and Shikuku founded FORD-Asili.
Moi went on to win the 1992 presidential elections with 1,962,866 votes, securing 36.35 percent, while Matiba came second with 1,404,266, accounting for 26 percent. Mwai Kibaki came third with 1,050,617, accounting for 19.45 percent, and Oginga came fourth with 944,197, accounting for 19.48 percent.
Savula’s claims
Savula recently claimed they have embarked on a move to woo Amisi to Kenya Kwanza to whittle down the influence of the Sifuna-led faction in Western Kenya.
He said currently the Tawe wave of Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya had fizzled out.
“As we are in talks now, we are speaking with Caleb Amisi to engage him formally, and very soon if the negotiations go well, he will join President Ruto’s team,” he said.
“We are fighting harder and harder to ensure that we kill the Linda Mwananchi wave.”
But Amisi said he had taken note of the unfortunate remarks and propaganda being circulated suggesting that he was engaged in conversations or political arrangements with the William Ruto regime.
“These allegations are false, reckless, and intended to sow division within those who seek genuine change in Kenya,” he said.
He took a swipe at Savula over what he termed as dangerous political jokes.
“To my friend Ayub Savula, whom I have known for many years, I say this respectfully: this is no longer the season for political jokes or careless speculation. UNLIKE YOU, some of us are well brought up, well mannered, well-schooled, well cultured, and highly principled. Ideology has been the bastion of my political journey,” he wrote.
Mole or no mole?
Amisi accused some of his colleagues in the opposition of labelling them moles and questioning him.
“It is also disappointing that some individuals within the opposition have assumed the role of ‘prefecting’ others and labelling young upcoming leaders as moles at the slightest opportunity. My consistency in standing with the people cannot be questioned. While you were issuing shoot-to-kill orders and dining with the repressive regime during the Gen Z protests in 2024, I was in the trenches fighting against injustices, government excesses, and police brutality,” he said.
The disconnect
The Saboti MP has been sending mixed signals and no longer attends Linda Mwananchi functions. He was a crucial member at its formation but is currently a total stranger and has expressed contradictory views with the group.
“I want to tell Sifuna. I started Kenya Moja which became Linda Mwananchi. We cannot hate William Ruto and then move to Wamunyoro (former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua). You cannot leave Ruto for Wamunyoro; something must be wrong with you,” he said.
Currently, Gachagua has become a weaponised campaign tool in the 2027 general election over his tribal inclination. In the ODM stronghold, Gachagua has become a potent campaign tool.
But recently, Gachagua said Mt Kenya will be forced to sacrifice the presidential and running mate position to enable Kenyans to vote President Ruto out.
Amisi declared that he will only support Sifuna for the presidency in 2027, yet the opposition was yet to settle on the presidential candidate – a double-edged statement.
“It must be very clear to naysayers that the only person I will support for President of the Republic of Kenya in 2027 is Edwin Sifuna. If he does not vie and chooses to support the same old guards we want to remove from the political scene, then there will be some breaking news! We must achieve the call of our generation, and sio tafadhali. I have been very consistent on my call for generational change, and I will not back down to please some egos,” he said.
Babu Owino
Babu took time to remind Amisi to use the official channel to resolve any emerging issue in the group instead of opting for the internet.
“About my brother Caleb, he knows how to solve issues. We do not want to see things on the internet. If he has issues, he should call leaders and we sit down and resolve the issues, and not the internet. He is addressing the wrong people. We don’t want to see nonsensical things. Linda Mwananchi will remain strong. We will enter into alliances with those who matter,” he said.
Orengo tactically avoided the Amisi issue during a recent interview with KTN.
But Amisi has maintained that those who recently discovered the opposition must remember that many of them were already standing with Kenyans when doing so attracted persecution rather than applause.
“We therefore urge all who have joined this struggle to approach it with humility, discipline, and mutual respect. Most importantly, Kenya will not defeat authoritarianism by returning to the failed politics of tribal mobilisation. Tribalism has never liberated our people, nor will it rescue our nation today. The young people who awakened this country reminded us that Kenya belongs to all its citizens, regardless of ethnicity,” he said.
