Prior to the 2027 general election, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi plans a clean sweep for President William Ruto as he works to secure his Western stronghold.
In order to ringfence his turf, Musalia, who is Ruto’s chief ally in the electorally significant region alongside National Assembly speaker Moses Wetangula, has intensified “unity discussions” by engaging with politicians from opposing parties. The former ANC leader called on the area to unite and guarantee them a walkover in 2027 during talks with the Luhya council of elders and lawmakers on Friday in Busia.
“Have we decided to stick together, and will you assist us in getting that walkover? Are you prepared? Musalia spoke out during the discussion.
Paul Otuoma, the governor of Busia, several elected officials, and elders were present at the meeting.
In the run-up to the general election on August 9, Mudavadi broke with Raila Odinga, the leader of the opposition, and sided with Ruto in Busia and the entire Western region. After the President and his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, Mudavadi—possibly the third most influential person in the Ruto administration—asked if the locals had been “liberated.”
“You see very far because you are older. The liberty of the mind is the greatest strength any society or country can have.
“Are you experiencing mental freedom? You must take that query home with you. And if you are psychologically liberated, how do you walk? He asked, “How do you shake someone’s hand?
Evidently, Mudavadi was speaking of political freedom now that the region’s senior leaders are in office for the first time in a long time. This time, Musalia emphasized, “we must be strategic and work as a team.”
He encourages the region’s leaders to accept and acclimate to the reality and stop living in denial about Ruto’s presidency.
“We recently visited Siaya with the president, and they accepted us” (that Ruto is the president). Do not pretend to be more Azimio than its proprietors, my buddy. They are adapting and have also noticed him.
“If you travel to Mount Kenya, all of them (the people who were in Azimio) have turned around, and they were Azimio’s owners. You are still awaiting a new government, he continued.
Musalia was elected as the Western Council of Elders’ chairman during the Busia gathering, which took place against the backdrop of PCS actions viewed as attempts to keep Raila out of the area and ringfence it for Ruto.
The people in the area have consistently supported Raila with a resounding majority of their votes. Musalia has previously met with the heads of each of the five western counties. Only one governor from the area, Ken Lusaka of Bungoma, was chosen to lead a party affiliated with the Kenya Kwanza Coalition, the current government.
The remaining candidates, including George Natembeya (Trans Nzoia), Wilber Ottichilo (Vihiga), Fernandes Barasa (Kakamega), and Otuoma, were chosen on the ballots of opposing parties. Musalia has also met with MPs from the vast region in an effort to foster harmony. Musalia and Wetangula led the representatives of the area to the state lodge in Kakamega in December of last year for a meeting with the President.