In 2006, then-Bumula Member of Parliament Wakoli Bifwoli made headlines when he marched through the corridors of Parliament, waving his arms and shouting, “Uuuuiiii! Bwana Awori is a dictator! Uuuiii! Bwana Awori is a dictator!”
His fellow MPs and members of the press watched in surprise as the outspoken legislator loudly protested.
The unusual outburst quickly made headlines and earned him attention across the country. While many saw it as a bold political statement, others found humour in the moment, particularly because of his strong Luhya accent, which made the phrase sound like “Awori is a tiktator.”
Years later, in an interview with a local media outlet, Wakoli Bifwoli explained the motivation behind his dramatic actions and why he publicly labelled then-Vice President Moody Awori a dictator.
Wakoli Bifwoli Explains Why He Yelled “Awori is a dictator”
According to the former MP, the incident was triggered by the exclusion of a nominee he had fronted for a seat in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
Bifwoli, who at the time was the Chief Whip of the FORD-Kenya party, had proposed Kaivas Akhabi Buluma from Busia to represent the party. However, when the final list of nominees was presented, Buluma’s name had been removed and replaced with candidates preferred by Vice President Awori.
“I was defending the Ford-Kenya party. As a party, we had nominated Hon. Kaivas Akhabi Buluma from Busia to represent us in EALA. But Moody Awori and others in power dismissed our choice and presented their own names. That’s why I caused an uproar. I said no—Ford-Kenya must be represented, and we have a right,” Bifwoli said.
Also Read: Today in History: When Kibaki Fired All Cabinet Ministers, Including Raila
Following the uproar, Bifwoli was summoned by then-President Mwai Kibaki, who questioned him over his loud outburst in Parliament.
“I told President Kibaki that as Ford-Kenya, we had selected our own candidate, but Awori rejected him. I warned that if Awori presented other names to Parliament, we would vote them down,” Bifwoli explained.
Former Bumula MP Denies Rift with Former Vice President
After hearing his side of the story, President Kibaki eventually agreed to include Buluma’s name in the list of Kenya’s EALA representatives.
“Kibaki listened and said, ‘If Wakoli is causing all this trouble, then include Akhabi’s name’,” he recalled.
Bifwoli noted that his political feud with Moody Awori ended the moment Buluma’s name was restored to the list.
Also Read: Today in History: Anwar Sadat Gunned Down After Signing Peace Treaty with Israel
Today, Wakoli Bifwoli lives in his rural home in Bumula, having retreated from active politics and maintained a low public profile since losing the Bungoma senatorial race to Moses Wetang’ula in the 2013 general elections.
He served as Bumula’s MP from 2002 to 2013 under the FORD-Kenya party. During the Grand Coalition Government (2008–2013) under President Kibaki, he served as the Assistant Minister for Lands.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
