Game of chess as titans scramble for Nyanza and Western

President William Ruto admires a big fish he was gifted by residents of Kisumu after he assessed the work-in-progress at Homa Bay Town Market. [PCS] .

The Western and Nyanza regions, which were politically solid behind the late ODM leader Raila Odinga, have now become a battlefield not just from ODM itself but also for UDA and other parties after Raila’s death.

 As the country slowly adjusts to a political landscape without Raila’s commanding presence, leaders allied to President William Ruto and those in the opposition are now battling for control of the populous region, with analysts warning that the contest could redefine Kenya’s 2027 political arithmetic, which is shifting from the old folks and established leaders whose influence is under scrutiny.