President William Ruto, Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki, KNUT Chairman Patrick Karinga (right) and KUPPET Chairman Omboko Milemba during a meeting with over 10,000 teachers at State House, Nairobi.
Billions in housing projects, new markets, and electricity connections are suddenly flowing into Gusii, but behind the veneer of development lies the raw arithmetic of 2027 politics.
Analysts argue President William Ruto’s charm offensive in the region is less about prosperity and more about shoring up numbers, just as former interior cabinet secretary Fred Matiang’i and former chief justice David Maraga pitch their own presidential bids.
From being hosted in State House by President Ruto, to presidential hopefuls touring the region and late-night meetings, the Gusii region, which had had a total of 960,000 votes according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is attracting politicians seeking a piece of the votes.
The latest meeting was held at the State House on Thursday, where the President assured the region of his support and also offered goodies.
In mid last month, MPs Nyakundi, Silvanus Osoro (South Mugirango), Zaheer Jhanda (Nyaribari Chache), Alfa Miruka (Bomachoge Chache) led a section of residents from Kisii and Nyamira counties to State House where they also claimed that they were going to unlock new developments and revive the stalled ones.
Prior to this meeting, the Head of State also hosted MPs and MCAs at the Kakamega State lodge last year before meeting them again at the Kisii state lodge on the eve of the new year 2025.
President Ruto’s sudden courtship of the Gusii vote is not happening in a vacuum. Having lost traction in the once-reliable Mt. Kenya bloc, strategists say he is now recalibrating towards Western Kenya and Kisii, regions with the numbers to cushion his 2027 arithmetic.
But the terrain is far from straightforward: Fred Matiang’i’s declared candidacy threatens to fracture local loyalties, while Raila Odinga’s entry into government has left his Kisii base expecting dividends from the so-called broad-based administration.
The recent Statehouse meeting between the President and the Gusii political leadership delegation led by Kisii Governor Simba Arati was also attended by the Orange Democratic Movement Party Leader Raila Odinga, Education Cabinet Secretary Migos Ogamba, Solicitor General Shadrack Mose, among others.
But, while Arati led the delegation, his Nyamira counterpart, Amos Nyaribo, was conspicuously missing from the forum after it emerged that he declined the invitation.
Mr Nyaribo is the party leader of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), which is associated with former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, who has declared his intentions of vying for the presidency in 2027.
Shortly after the State House one, Professor Kithure Kindiki held a separate meeting with a section of Nyamira MCAs, where those who attended said the agenda of strengthening the party and neutralizing the influence of Dr Matiang’i was brought forward.
Those who attended the late-night meeting told Sunday Nation that the meeting focused on leadership in Nyamira County, especially the upcoming by-elections in several wards.
Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki during an economic empowerment program at Sitotwo Primary School in Keiyo South Constituency, Elgeyo Marakwet County on August 09, 2025.
An MCA who did not want to go on record said that they also went to Professor Kindiki to seek assistance in resolving the “issue” of the county governor. He alluded to an impeachment of the Nyamira county boss.
“It was brought up by one of the local MPs, and we all supported it. He promised he would use all ‘means possible’ in his capacity as deputy president and work with the MCAs to resolve the crisis,” he said.
Counter accounts
But another Nyamira Township MCA, Duke Masira, who attended the meeting, dismissed the talk of impeaching the county governor.
“He insisted on the need for us to rally Nyamira region behind the government at the grassroots level, especially the upcoming by-elections…There was no such thing as impeachment of the governor in our discussions. If impeachment is going to come, then it will come at the right time,” Mr Duke Masira told Sunday Nation.
On Tuesday this week in North Mugirango Constituency and the entire Kisii region, there has been intensified political activity by Kenya Kwanza stalwarts. During a public rally held by lawmakers allied to the Kenya Kwanza government, Kitutu Chache North Member of Parliament Japheth Nyakundi asked the Nyamira MCAs to impeach the county chief for declining the president’s invitation.
“You have the power to remove that person from office and let his deputy take over. Governor Arati has accepted to take the MCAs to the State House but yours has declined. Impeach him,” Mr Nyakundi said.
Although their rally in North Mugirango was termed a meeting to review some of the projects in the constituency, those who spoke attacked the former CS Dr Matiang’i and anyone who is opposed to the broad-based government.
Mr Odinga’s presence at the State House meeting also underscored shifting dynamics. Having dominated Gusii in previous years, he now risks ceding ground to Matiang’i. By standing with Ruto, he signaled an attempt to secure a share of development for his base, but also raised questions about whether he can hold onto his traditional support. Mr Arati’s presence is also seen as a counterweight to Senator Onyonka. Onyonka is reportedly eyeing the gubernatorial seat, hoping to benefit from hanging on the Matiangi's coattails.
'Keeping tabs'
Mr Silvanus Osoro, the MP for South Mugirango, told Sunday Nation that in the Gusii region, Dr Matiang’i is just an ‘imaginary’ candidate and that the delegations at State House are in line with the manifesto of keeping tabs with its supporters.
“The President has met all the regional leaders with the inclusion of Gusii region. As the Kenya Kwanza Gusii team, we are doing what we have always done, being on the ground. We have nothing to do with non-starters and imaginary candidates like Matiang’i,” Mr Osoro told the Nation.
Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro when he addressed journalists in his office.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka, an ally of Matiang’i, insists that the regular visits in the region and the delegations at State House is a clear sign that the Kenya Kwanza government is already in ‘panic’ mode regarding the candidature of Dr Matiang’i.
“For a long time, the Gusii region has been used to top up regional politics. This is not going to be the case. There are opinion polls everywhere showing that our candidate Dr Matiang’i, is number one above even Mr Gachagua. The government is in panic mode but the people of the Gusii region are clever. They can see through all these lies,” Mr Onyonka said.
Prof David Monda, a Professor of Political Science at the City University of New York says that the one million votes in Kisii would end up being a swing vote and Dr Ruto is seeking to get a share of the votes to deny Matiang’i a majority.
“Ruto knows 2027 will be a tough sell, especially if the opposition stays united. Every vote will count. While Matiangi will get the lion’s share of the Kisii region vote if he is on the ticket in 2027, the idea here is to try and eat into that majority. Try and split the vote,” he told Sunday Nation.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i addresses a meeting at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua residence in Wamunyoro on May 4,2025.
But he also cautions that 24 months is a long time in politics and a lot can change between now and then in the Kisii region.
“As it stands, things on the ground do not look good for Ruto in Kisii land. Governor Arati might pay a heavy political price for attempting to divide the Omogusii,” he adds.
During the State House meeting, Mr Arati stressed that he was the official spokesperson of the Gusii community, vowing to work with President Ruto.
Kisii Governor Simba Arati.
“I am the official spokesperson of the Omogusii. As a community, we are for development. After two years, I will be asked, Raila was in the broad-based government, as ODM, what did I bring to Gusii. Mr President, if you don’t fix the country, no other person will do it,” said Mr Arati.
Nyaribari Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda insists that the State House visits are about development projects in the region.
“He is not a threat to the President at all. If he is serious about it, why is he not holding regular meetings with MPs and leaders from the region? As an MP, I was elected to bring development to the people and that is why I must work with President Ruto,” he told Sunday Nation.
He also adds that following a recent State House meeting, the process of constructing the Gusii stadium has already started and his constituency has announced a tender of Sh3 billion for the construction of a tarmac road.
Mr Anthony Kibagendi, the Kitutu Chache South MP who has attended two of the previous meetings hosted by President Ruto at Kakamega State Lodge and Kisii State Lodge, insists that he is deploying a strategy of portraying Dr Matiang’i as a candidate who does not have control of the region.
“I am happy of the work we have done. If you look at the analysis of the empowerment programs, they have happened in Kisii and Nyamira. But despite all the money they have poured, the ground has remained intact. All those promises that he makes in meetings are all lies,” he told Sunday Nation.
In the last General Elections, Kisii had 637,010 registered voters while Nyamira had 323,283 voters. Mr Odinga garnered 264,988 votes in Kisii County, translating to 65.15 per cent, whereas President Ruto got 135,140 votes, equivalent to 33.22 per cent. In Nyamira County, Mr Odinga got 104,477 (61.20 per cent) votes while President Ruto received 63,645 (37.28 per cent).
Assuming they retain this support and combine the votes, Dr Ruto will be a step ahead of their competitors. The entry of former CS Matiang’i and former Chief Justice David Maraga in the race for the presidency has also thrown a spanner in the works. Should Dr Matiang’i get the backing of the Gusii community, the tide is set to turn against ODM and Kenya Kwanza.
Mr James Matundura, the Chairman of the Gusii Council of Elders, argues that the Kisii region is backing the candidature of Dr Matiangi and accused a section of leaders from the region of being ‘selfish’.
“There is no doubt that as a community that we are backing the candidature of Matiang’i at 100 percent. The problem in Kisii is that we have leaders who are selfish. These leaders are always using the community to push their interests but this will come to an end once we formally make an announcement on which way the community will go,” Mr Matundura told Sunday Nation.
Additional Reporting by Wycliffe Nyaberi
