The growing wave of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and his Linda Mwananchi movement has jolted top government officials from Western region into an aggressive re-election campaign for President William Ruto.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who has been absent from major political activities, has since begun grassroots activities to consolidate support for the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA). Mr Mudavad held a meeting with UDA aspirants from the region at the weekend.
Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya on Monday also held a strategy meeting with Western MPs in Kisumu. Mr Oparanya told the Nation that the morning engagement was attended by 25 MPs drawn from both UDA and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
“We met to discuss issues touching on the forthcoming election and how we can position ourselves well as a community,” said Mr Oparanya.
Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi and Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula have also formed a joint campaign team covering Western and Nyanza to rally support for Dr Ruto. The team plans to visit all the constituencies in the region to drum up support for the President’s re-election.
Observers note that the heightened political activities in the Western bloc by pro-government politicians are designed to counter the growing influence of the ODM breakaway team.
Mr Sifuna’s plan to run for the presidency has excited the region. There are fears that the Linda Mwananchi wave could cost both ODM and UDA seats in the region.
Mr Mudavadi and the Central Organisation of Trade Union (Cotu-K) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli at the weekend held a strategy meeting with UDA aspirants from Western in their broader plan to strengthen UDA’s presence in the region.
In the meeting, the leaders discussed why it was important for the two parties to retain majority parliamentary seats in the election. Mr Mudavadi said Dr Ruto risks being a lame-duck president should they fail to deliver the region.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi speaks to the media at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu on September 5, 2026.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation Media Group
The meeting held in Kisumu also resolved to mop up eligible voters to enlist ahead of the 2027 contest. Mr Mudavadi estimated the number at 1.5 million ID holders, who are yet to register as voters.
Kakamega, Busia, Bungoma, Vihiga and Trans Nzoia counties currently boast of 2.9 million registered voters. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) projects that the five counties will have 3.4 million votes by the time the country goes to the election on August 10, 2027.
“The road to 2027 will not be won by noise, it will be won through organisation, credibility and the ballot. I engaged UDA political aspirants from Western Kenya on building strong grassroots structures, ensuring credible nominations and preparing for peaceful democratic competition,” said Mr Mudavadi.
“With an estimated 1.5 million eligible ID holders in Western Kenya yet to register as voters, I challenged every aspirant to make voter registration a priority. Every eligible Kenyan should have the opportunity to register, participate and make their voice count," he added.
He also tried to downplay Mr Sifuna’s influence in the 2027 presidential race, arguing that it was practically impossible to build a political party with a national footprint within a year to the polls.
Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli speaks to the media at Tom Mboya Labour College Kisumu on September 5, 2026.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation Media Group
Mr Atwoli rallied the aspirants to back Mr Mudavadi as their regional kingpin, saying he remains the region’s spokesperson. He claimed that Mr Sifuna is made for the future.
“He is going to be there after us, but his time is not now,” said the Cotu boss.
But Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, a member of the Linda Mwananchi, described the Kisumu meeting as the height of political desperation. He questioned why the meeting was held in Kisumu and not in Western.
Mr Osotsi claimed that the number of aspirants who turned up for the meeting shows that UDA remains unpopular in the region.
“They have panicked. You can see the desperation in their activities. The region has 33 constituencies, but you saw the number of aspirants who turned up for the meeting,” said Mr Osotsi.
“UDA is doing badly in Western. That is why they could not hold the meeting in one of the Western towns. They went to Kisumu because UDA is unpopular in Western,” he added.
Mr Osotsi, who has declared interest for Vihiga Governor, said most aspirants and some elected leaders from the region just waiting for them to launch their new party before they can ditch UDA and ODM.
But allies of Dr Ruto drawn from Western and Nyanza have vowed to consolidate the region in backing the broad-based government.
The team led by Mr Wandayi and Mr Savula was at the weekend in Busia and Siaya for grassroots mobilization. CS Wandayi accused Siaya Governor James Orengo, a member of the Linda Mwananchi, of trying to mislead the community.
He said more development for the community can only be guaranteed under the leadership of the Dr Ruto. His team seeks to visit all the constituencies in the two regions as part of its 2027 campaign plan.
Similar remarks were made by Mr Savula, who said that they seek to deliver ODM traditional bases to Dr Ruto. Western, Nyanza and Coast have traditionally backed former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in the last four successive presidential elections.
“Ruto is ahead of the game. We need to focus and vote for him to attain development in the region” said Mr Savula.
