NAIROBI, Kenya \u2014 National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang\u2019ula has called on the Luhya community to close ranks and rally behind President William Ruto\u2019s bid for a second term, warning that continued political fragmentation could leave the region sidelined despite its large population and voting strength.<\/p>\n
Speaking during the funeral service of his aunt, Rita Nafula Mutaki, 88, in Mukhweya, Bungoma County, Wetang\u2019ula said political pragmatism should guide the community\u2019s decisions ahead of the next general election.<\/p>\n
He argued that supporting President Ruto would secure Western Kenya a stronger stake in government and accelerate development projects across the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is no secret that leaders who once opposed President Ruto have since acknowledged his strong prospects for re-election and are now guiding their communities towards government to secure inclusion and post-election benefits,\u201d Wetang\u2019ula said.<\/p>\n
The Speaker cautioned that other regions, including Nyanza and Central Kenya, were already repositioning themselves politically, warning that the Luhya community risked being left behind if it failed to act decisively.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we are not careful, others will take up the space meant for us,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n
Wetang\u2019ula said backing President Ruto would help fast-track stalled development projects and strengthen the community\u2019s long-standing leadership aspirations at the national level. He noted that several key infrastructure projects in Western Kenya, including major road works, had been revived under the current administration, with new initiatives also underway.<\/p>\n
\u201cSustained political support guarantees continuity in development,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Speaker also urged residents, especially young people, to take advantage of the relaxed requirements for acquiring national identity cards and to register as voters in large numbers. He expressed concern over low voter registration in Bungoma County, noting that despite its large population, the county has about 680,000 registered voters compared to Kiambu County\u2019s 1.4 million.<\/p>\n
Several leaders present echoed Wetang\u2019ula\u2019s remarks and openly endorsed a united political front behind President Ruto.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs chairman of the Western MPs Caucus, our agenda is clear\u2014to unite the community behind President Ruto\u2019s second-term bid,\u201d said Sirisia MP and Senate Chief Whip Wafula Wakoli.<\/p>\n
He added that Wetang\u2019ula, as the region\u2019s most senior political figure, should be prepared to assume higher national leadership after President Ruto\u2019s tenure.<\/p>\n
Webuye East MP Martin Pepela urged Wetang\u2019ula to renegotiate the Luhya community\u2019s stake in government, arguing that its numerical strength entitled it to greater influence and resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we rally our people behind President Ruto, we expect our package in government to be reviewed upwards,\u201d Pepela said.<\/p>\n
The gathering also doubled as an early battleground for the Bungoma gubernatorial race, with MPs Tim Wanyonyi and Didmus Barasa emerging as key contenders. Several MPs publicly backed Wanyonyi, arguing that Bungoma County required strong managerial leadership to unlock its development potential.<\/p>\n
\u201cBungoma has lagged behind due to poor leadership and now needs a manager who can jump-start development,\u201d Wakoli said, a view echoed by Pepela.<\/p>\n
Barasa dismissed the endorsements, insisting that the decision rests with voters.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly the people of Bungoma have the power to decide who their next governor will be, and I have their support,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Bungoma Senator Wakoli also said upcoming Ford Kenya grassroots elections would be used to revitalize the party by removing elements he accused of weakening its appeal. He further criticized the Bungoma County Government over alleged nepotism and the failure to employ instructors for vocational training institutions.<\/p>\n
Leaders seeking elective office were urged to avoid divisive politics and focus on unity and development.<\/p>\n
Wetang\u2019ula concluded by conveying Christmas and New Year goodwill messages and appealed to motorists to observe road safety during the festive season.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NAIROBI, Kenya \u2014 National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang\u2019ula has called on the Luhya community to close ranks and rally behind President William Ruto\u2019s bid for a second term, warning that continued political fragmentation could leave the region sidelined despite its large population and voting strength. Speaking during the funeral service of his aunt, Rita Nafula […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=127291"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127291\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=127291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=127291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}