Can Natembeya succeed where others failed in uniting the Luhya nation?

DAP-K Deputy Party Leader and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya with supporters during a Nairobi press briefing on August 12, 2025. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard] At Kiritu in Sabatia Sub-County, a section of elders drawn from the Maragoli, Bunyore, and Tiriki communities gathered to perform a ritual with enormous political undertones. Presided over by Christopher Govedi, the ceremony saw Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya endorsed and handed the mandate to unite the Luhya ahead of the 2027 General Election. "We believe Governor Natembeya is best placed to unite our people and speak for the Western region," Rev. Govedi declared, urging leaders to rally behind the first-term governor in the pursuit of a common political voice. But whether this coronation will hold water and propel Natembeya into the role of Luhya kingpin remains a matter of intense debate. The community has witnessed similar attempts before - most notably the December 31, 2016, "Bukhungu I" coronation of Musalia Mudavadi, spearheaded by Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) boss Francis Atwoli. That grand event branded Mudavadi the undisputed kingpin of Western, but his star quickly dimmed as he failed to rally the region into a cohesive political bloc. Mudavadi's political choices - especially his decision to align with President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza - divided rather than consolidated the Mulembe nation. Political analyst Moses Ombayo believes that if history is anything to go by, the weight of an elders' blessing is not always enough to secure unity in a region notorious for political fragmentation. "The symbolism of Kiritu is not lost and can't be underestimated. Natembeya has energy, clarity, and the courage to challenge power. But unity requires more than that - it needs diplomacy, inclusion, and a shared vision," he said. According to Ombayo, the region's estimated 2.2 million votes can only make an impact if harnessed collectively. "If he (Natembeya) can bring National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, Mudavadi, Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya, and others to the same table, he might succeed," Ombayo argued. "The coronation of George Natembeya at Kiritu symbolizes both a fresh start and an old problem. It reflects the yearning of the Luhya community for unity, but also the weight of history that has humbled leaders before him," he added. To Natembeya's supporters, it marks the beginning of a new chapter, one that could finally deliver the elusive prize of Western unity. Newton Hinga, an aspirant for Vihiga governor in 2027, believes the Trans Nzoia Governor is positioning himself as the rallying point for a new political order. "By courting grassroots elders and holding community rallies, Natembeya is positioning himself as the rallying point for unity - a move that could reshape the region's role in the 2027 election," Hinga observed. Obed Mwale, the Deputy Speaker of the Trans Nzoia County Assembly, is even more forthright, stating that Natembeya might just be the last stroke to crack the Luhya unity. "We have been mishandled for too long. It's time to close ranks. Mudavadi, Wetang'ula, Natembeya - they must come together if we are to stand a chance," Mwale said. The Luhya community, despite being Kenya's second-largest ethnic bloc, has long struggled to establish a single political authority. From the era of Masinde Muliro to Michael Wamalwa, and later Mudavadi and Wetang'ula, leaders from the region have consistently fallen short of rallying the Mulembe vote behind one banner. Sibling rivalries, divergent ambitions, and external interference have frustrated every attempt to consolidate the community. Each election cycle, Western voters are splintered among different candidates or traded off in political bargains that yield little in return. As a result, despite their numerical strength - estimated at 2.2 million votes - the Luhya remain perennially underrepresented at the pinnacle of national politics. Natembeya rose through the ranks of public administration - from District Officer to Rift Valley Regional Commissioner - where he earned a reputation as a no-nonsense, defiant officer. In 2022, he resigned to contest the Trans Nzoia governorship on a Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) ticket and won. Since then, he has built a combative political brand around his "Tawe" movement - a Luhya term for rejection. The movement rejects corruption, complacency, and the silence of leaders who, in his words, "become quiet when offered positions." "We have leaders who become quiet when offered positions. But silence has cost us. We must now demand our rightful place at the national table," Natembeya said during his Vihiga rally. Pundits say his direct and unapologetic style has earned him admiration among youth and grassroots supporters who see him as a refreshing alternative to traditional leaders. Before his Vihiga elders' coronation, he had held rallies in Luanda, Majengo, Mbale, Chavakali, and Mudete. At each stop, his message was that unity is the key to unlocking development and national influence. "Our strength lies in speaking in one voice," Natembeya told the gathering at Kiritu. "We must come together as brothers and sisters of the Western region so that we are not left behind in the sharing of the national cake." He has warned that disunity has reduced the Luhya to political spectators, unable to secure projects such as the revival of Mumias Sugar, Nzoia Sugar, and Rai Pan Paper Mills, all of which once supported thousands of households. "Western Kenya has for long been fragmented by personal interests, and it is time to put those divisions aside and work as one Mulembe nation," he said in another rally. To achieve this, Natembeya's Tawe Movement has committed to engaging elders, church leaders, and youth groups across counties in Western Kenya to consolidate the unity agenda.Natembeya's rise, however, has rattled the political hierarchy. Both Mudavadi and Wetang'ula have dismissed the idea that the region needs a new kingpin, portraying themselves as the established conduits of Western interests within the Kenya Kwanza government. Wetang'ula, in particular, insists that his current role as National Assembly Speaker places him in a strong position to mount a presidential run in 2032. "I am the senior-most leader from Western, and my position gives me a front seat in national politics. We will work with all leaders to ensure our region gets its due," Wetang'ula said recently.Mudavadi, on the other hand, has cast himself as President Ruto's trusted ally and strategist, emphasizing patience and loyalty as the pathway to eventual influence. The struggle for Western unity is complicated further by other ambitious leaders. Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, former Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, and even Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya have hinted at presidential aspirations.

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