Former MP, Bifwoli Wakoli Opens Up On Challenges Politicians Face

When Bifwoli Wakoli lost the Bumula Parliamentary contest in 2013, he decided to step away from politics and focus on farming and business.

The fiery politician, who was well-known for his comedians at the height of his political career, was a featured guest on news shows including Truth Meter, Bulls Eye, and the Mirindo za kisiasa.

Bifwoli worked as an assistant minister of lands in the Mwai Kibaki administration as well as the member of parliament for Bumula Constituency from 2007 till he was appointed a “man under sieke”—read Siege—or Siege.

Bifwoli Wakoli, who is currently running for the Bumula MP seat on an Independent ticket, has provided insight into what it’s like to work in politics.

Speaking on Citizen TV’s Mheshimiwa Burden series, the 70-year-old said a politician’s life can be occasioned by pretense, just so as to please the electorates.

“Let me tell you the truth, when I have Ksh 5,000 I can give you and deny my child. I want to make you think that I have money yet my child is out of school,” he said.

Bifwoli added that a politician’s life can be marred by desolation and many financial challenges.

“If you look at the lifestyle of former members of parliament, 90 percent are desolate if not 100 percent, if you lose an election, after 6 months you will be auctioned, they leave on loans.; my prayer is, never take a loan to service the electorate…at the end of the day you know you are going to lose that seat one day,” he said.

Bifwoli says that most politicians are similarly estranged from their children, who only view them as individuals who are shielded by authority. When one’s children leave the house, he claims that this can cause loneliness.

“You need a very, very patient and tolerant partner because politics has a lot of bad things…propaganda.”

The politician further spoke on his current political bid, which began with stumbling blocks from the Ford Kenya party.

“I was nominated in ford Kenya and the party was a fraud, I was not given the ticket I decided to go independent because I wanted to put sanity in the political party because this election, people want to elect me, I hope they keep their word,” he said.