Following a special meeting of Ford Kenya's National Executive Council (NEC) at Radisson Blu, Nairobi on Sunday, May 31, Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi was announced as the interim party leader replacing Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula.
The announcement was followed by another press conference, this time convened by Wetangula who dismissed the purported ouster and made changes to the party's top organs, including suspending Secretary-General Eseli Simiyu.
The dramatic events cast a spotlight on the Kanduyi MP backed by one faction of the party to steer it, with Wetangula accused of failing to unite Ford Kenya.
Wamunyinyi was among leaders from the Western Kenya region who attended a meeting at the Kajiado home of Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli on May 29.
The meeting, skipped by Wetangula and Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi, saw Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya endorsed as the community's spokespersons in apparent move to negotiate with Jubilee Party for a supposed coalition.
Following Wetangula's removal, Mudavadi claimed that Wamunyinyi was a puppet and accused Atwoli of being involved in the plot to remove Wetangula, alongside an unnamed National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition party leader.
Wamunyinyi entered Parliament in 2002 on a National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) ticket, and served as MP for Kanduyi until 2007.
After a five-year absence, he made a comeback following elections in 2013 when he clinched the Kanduyi parliamentary seat on a Ford-Kenya ticket, and retained it in 2017.
Before venturing into politics, Wamunyinyi served in the Kenya Police Service between 1982 and 1986. He then joined the Kilimanjaro Safari Club Group of Companies as Group Personnel Manager in 1987.
Wamunyinyi has a BSc in Psychology from the University of Nairobi in addition to a certificate in Human Resource Management from the Kenya Institute of Management. He also holds a diploma in Human Resource Management from London Business School.
Political analyst Mark Bichachi observed that Wamunyinyi was not a politician with as much visibility on the national scale compared to Wetangula.
Questioned on whether the power lay with Wamunyinyi following the NEC meeting, he argued that it was difficult to tell, predicting a protracted legal battle.
"[Where the power lies] is a hard question. That is something that will be determined by the courts who will have to say which side had the valid National Executive Council (NEC) meeting," he told Kenyans.co.ke.
Bichachi argued that the volatile nature of Kenyan politics and its parties meant that both Wamunyinyi and Wetangula held some power within Ford Kenya.
Bichachi also questioned Mudavadi's sentiments alluding to Wamunyinyi being a puppet, arguing that Mudavadi needed to first sort out his perceived political indecisiveness.
"Mudavadi has been blowing hot and cold. He's been feckless. If he has a problem with Raila [Odinga - ODM leader], he should say so.
"He's playing watermelon. He met with Martha Karua and Peter Kenneth, later he met with Ruto's people and he is also said to be working with Uhuru. What does that mean? The problem with Mudavadi is he is trying to please everyone," he stated.
