Ford Kenya crisis deepens as top officials jump ship

Matungu MP Peter Nabulindo, Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli join a jig outside the Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Bulimbo, Matungu constituency, in Kakamega county after a church service on February 22, 2026 /HILTON OTENYO 

The once formidable Ford Kenya party is grappling with a deepening internal crisis, following a wave of high-profile resignations by senior national officials over the last two months.

The party has lost at least 10 senior national officials in what political observers say signals deeper structural tensions within the outfit.

Many of those leaving cite dissatisfaction with the leadership style of party leader and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, which they claim has led to an erosion of internal democracy.

Among those who have quit the party is immediate former secretary general Chris Wamalwa, who moved to UDA, deputy secretary general Elizabeth Iminza, who defected to UDP and Chekai Musa, who served as Youth League president and a member of the National Executive Council (NEC).

Others who have exited include deputy national secretary for trade Almas Hadad, who also joined UDA, deputy national organising secretary David Burare, deputy national treasurer Joyce Cheruto and national vice chairman and Trans Nzoia Senator Henry Ndiema.

Also resigning were head of technology and research and NEC member Ismael Arale, NEC member for water, environment and natural resources Jane Nampaso, Trans Nzoia branch secretary Joseph Palapala, and Luke Opwora, who was in charge of sports, gender and culture. Arale has since joined UDM.

Speculation is rife that more officials, including deputy party leader Kenneth Lusaka, who was recently named regional coordinator for President William Ruto’s re-election campaigns in Western, could soon follow suit.

The unfolding developments at the party — the country’s second oldest political outfit after Kanu — now raise questions about its stability ahead of the next electoral cycle.

Wamalwa, who is eyeing the secretary general position in UDA, said his decision was guided by the need to align with what he termed a progressive political movement that prioritises inclusivity and development.

“I have served the party diligently but leadership must inspire confidence and consultation. Unfortunately, that space no longer exists,” he said.

Iminza cited personal political convictions and the need for “fresh engagement with grassroots supporters”.

Musa said young leaders needed a more participatory political environment, which he claimed was lacking within the party.

Hadad said politics should be about empowerment, not control, while Cheruto said she had made a personal decision to pursue a different political path.

Ndiema complained about what he termed the erosion of internal democracy, while Arale said his move was motivated by “ideological alignment and leadership vision”.

Insiders have pointed to centralised decision-making and lack of consultation as major causes of instability within the party.

“The exits reflect a party struggling with internal cohesion. When senior leadership feels sidelined, the rank and file inevitably follow,” a political observer familiar with Western Kenya politics said.

The unfolding developments threaten to significantly weaken the party’s influence in its traditional strongholds, particularly in Western.

Signs that all was not well were evident after Wetang’ula failed to deliver victory for the party in the Kabuchai ward by-election on November 27 last year, which was won by an independent candidate.

Efforts to reach Wetang’ula for comment were unsuccessful by press time as he neither answered calls nor responded to text messages.

However, the party’s national organising secretary Chris Mandumandu dismissed claims of mass resignations linked to leadership disputes, saying those who left did so for personal reasons.

He said some officials had moved into public service, noting that one cannot serve simultaneously as a public servant and a party official.

Mandumandu said Iminza resigned after securing a government job, while Wamalwa stepped down after the last general election amid expectations he would be appointed a Cabinet Administrative Secretary.

He said Musa resigned after realising he had violated the party constitution by campaigning for Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi of ODM, while Ndiema stepped down as national vice chairman due to age.

“If anything, this is a period of political realignments and people are moving from one outfit to another. Some people are also joining us,” Mandumandu said.

He maintained the party remains intact and is preparing for the next general election.

Mandumandu also defended Wetang’ula against accusations he was undermining internal democracy.

“The party leader is a very democratic person who listens to everyone. Even the name of our party is restoration of democracy,” he said.

Meanwhile, Wetang’ula recently convened a crisis meeting with Ford Kenya MCAs from Bungoma county at his Namuyemba home in Kanduyi to discuss the party’s dwindling political fortunes in the region and the effects of the Edwin Sifuna-led Linda Mwananchi movement.

Those who attended the closed-door meeting said it had been triggered by the party’s poor showing in the recent Chwele–Kabuchai ward by-election, which exposed cracks in Ford Kenya’s grassroots structures.

“It was not an ordinary meeting. It was about survival. The by-election result rattled the leadership and forced a moment of reckoning,” a party insider said.

During the meeting, Wetang’ula reportedly proposed a Sh20 million rebranding and revival campaign in Bungoma county scheduled to begin in March.

Under the plan, each of the 20 Ford Kenya MCAs would control a Sh600,000 ward-level budget to spearhead grassroots mobilisation through structured fundraising and community engagement drives.

Sources said Wetang’ula warned that unchecked personal ambition was fuelling internal competition and weakening the party’s collective bargaining power.

“He was very blunt. The party leader told them to stop running ahead of the party and focus on rebuilding it first,” another source said.

Wetang’ula is also said to have expressed concern over the growing influence of the Linda Mwananchi movement, which is resonating with young voters and disillusioned party supporters across Western.

Sources say the speaker fears the movement’s populist messaging could steadily erode Ford Kenya’s traditional support base and reshape the region’s political landscape if left unchecked.