Mudavadi, Wetangula push for Western unity ahead of 2027 polls

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula and Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi during funeral mass service of Malava MP Malulu Injendi at Lugusi village in Malava on March 3, 2025. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard] Leaders from Western Kenya have launched an ambitious campaign to unite the region ahead of the 2027 general elections, aiming to consolidate political power and position the Luhya community for national leadership. At a high-profile event held at Shamakhokho Secondary School in Hamisi, Vihiga County, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi led calls for unity, urging residents to rally behind the Kenya Kwanza government. The event hosted by Vihiga Woman Representative Beatrice Adagala under the banner of the Western MPs caucus focused on empowerment initiatives and fundraising for youth and women's groups. Wetang'ula emphasized the importance of voting as a bloc, pledging that the Western vote in 2027 would go to the Kenya Kwanza alliance under President William Ruto. The National Assembly Speaker also hinted at greater ambitions, declaring that the Luhya community would seek the presidency in 2032. "We have to stand and walk together as a region if we want to be recognised and respected," said Wetang'ula. He urged residents to register for national identity cards and to unite for political strength. "Other regional leaders are nurtured and respected, and that is what we want for our region," he added. Mudavadi echoed his sentiments, vowing to work closely with Wetang'ula to foster unity and deliver for President Ruto in 2027. "We have received appointments from the President and benefited. Now we must consolidate and plan ahead," he said. Other leaders at the event also called on Wetang'ula and Mudavadi to move together and unite the region politically. Concerns about the region's political standing have been fueled by the recent Memorandum of Understanding between President Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). The pact has unsettled top Western leaders, including Mudavadi and Wetang'ula, who have been key players in the Kenya Kwanza government since 2022. The contest for Western Kenya's more than 2.2 million votes is expected to revolve around which side offers the region a better deal. In the 2022 General Election, Raila dominated the region, securing 955,185 votes against Ruto's 611,475. The unity push comes just a day after former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang'i launched a meet-the-people tour in Kisii and Nyamira counties, marking his first major public appearance and signaling his intention to run for president in 2027. Luanda MP Dickson Maungu compared the unity efforts to those in the Kisii region, urging Western Kenya to emulate such solidarity. "As a region, we must walk together and rally behind our leaders. In Nyanza, Rift Valley, and Central, 98 percent of the community supports one of their own. Let us embrace unity," Maungu said. Shinyalu MP Fred Ikana stressed the need for political cohesion, asserting that unity was vital not just for development but for strategic political influence. "We have decided to stand together not only for development but also for political unity," he said, backing the idea that either Mudavadi or Wetang'ula should succeed President Ruto in 2032. Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera emphasized the importance of uniting all five counties-Kakamega, Bungoma, Vihiga, Busia, and Trans Nzoia-under one political umbrella, and called for the inclusion of key regional leaders such as Eugene Wamalwa, Wycliffe Oparanya, and George Natembeya in unity talks. Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi delivered a pointed message in local dialect, urging loyalty to regional leaders regardless of political differences. "Even if your own is flawed, they are still yours. We must stand with our own when the time comes," she said. Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli and Kakamega Woman Representative Elsie Muhanda echoed the unity call, declaring that the time had come for the Luhya community to speak with one voice. "We have come of age. It's time to end subtribal disunity and speak as one," said Wakoli. Despite the momentum, internal divisions and long-standing rivalries remain a challenge in the Western region politics. However, increased grassroots mobilization, strategic public engagements, and strong calls for unity reflect a growing desire to position Western Kenya as a major political force. During the Shamakhokho event, leaders from other regions also urged Western Kenya to continue supporting President Ruto, saying such support would increase the region's chances of national leadership. Among them were South Mugirango MP Silvanus Osoro, Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wah, and President Ruto's aide Farouk Kibet. The trio, who arrived after Wetang'ula and Mudavadi had left, called on Kenyans to shun tribalism and embrace unity. Osoro criticized Matiang'i's recent political activities, describing them as tribal. "We will support any Kenyan who is capable, whether Luhya or not. What we saw yesterday was a tribal move," he said. Kibet praised Western Kenya for supporting the Ruto government, saying the region would be rewarded in the future. "If Wetang'ula and Mudavadi are made presidents in the future, there is no problem-we will support their leadership," he said. Ichung'wah lauded the region's cooperation with others and noted that by 2032, Western Kenya could reap significant benefits in the race for the presidency.

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