Bifwoli Wakoli Speaks On The Unspoken Challenges Every Politician Faces

In 2013, Bifwoli Wakoli took a break from politics, retired to farming and business after loosing the Bumula Parliamentary race.

The firebrand politician - who at the peak of his political career was well known for his comics – was a headliner in news programs such as Truth Meter, Bulls Eye and the Mirindo za kisiasa.

Before he became a ‘man under sieke’ { read Siege } Bifwoli served as the Member of Parliament for Bumula Constituency from 2007 and also as an assistant Minister of Lands in the Mwai Kibaki Government.

Bifwoli Wakoli, who is now seeking the Bumula MP seat on an Independent ticket has shared his experience on life as a politician.

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 loan to service the electorate…at the end of the day you know you are going to lose that seat one day,” he said.

According to Bifwoli, most politicians are also isolated from their kids, who only see them as people protected by power. This, he says, can lead to loneliness when one’s children leave the home.

“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, that began with stumbling blocks from the Ford Kenya party.

“I was nominated in ford Kenya and the party was 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.

Bifwoli described political sycophancy as a dangerous thing that can make you go insane, saying it is worse than smoking Marijuana.

“When you go to an election, know that it is very risky, chances of winning are there, go there with option that you can lose,” he advised.