Deputy President William Ruto’s match to Statehouse seem unstoppable and only looks to be growing stronger as the days go by. With support from President Kenyatta’s Mt. Kenya now not 100% assured, Ruto seems to have set his sights elsewhere, the Luhyia Nation.
Ruto has set his eyes on winning over the populous Luhya vote in the hope that they and the Kalenjin can help propel him to State House.
Apart from hosting delegations from the region, in December alone the DP made more than five visits to Western. The latest was on Monday when he attended a bull fighting function in Ikolomani.
Western is made up of five counties and has 1.8 million registered voters, according to the IEBC records: Vihiga ( 267,481 ), Kakamega ( 746,870 ), Busia ( 347,911 ) and Bungoma ( 559,897 ).
In the last election, Jubilee won four parliamentary seats (Mumias East, Navakholo, Malava and Ikolomani) while in Bungoma, the ruling party captured Kimilili, Webuye West, Mt Elgon and Sirisia, denting ODM’s hold of the region.
Ruto is now hoping to build on Jubilee’s presence in the region as he prepares for 2022.
In the second half of last year, not a month passed without him conducting a harambee in Western, launching a development project or in some cases repeating the launch of a road already launched by Kenyatta.
On Monday at Malinya stadium in Kakamega Ruto met Knut representatives from Kakamega South. He later met 500 pastors at Lurambi MP Titus Khamala’s home. He wound up his visit watching a football match in Matungu.
The DP is using politicians, clergymen and teachers to push his way into Western Kenya.
After the handshake between Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga in March last year, Ruto has stepped up his efforts to win over Western Kenya leaders.
His key allies and point men in the region now include Lusaka, former Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale, Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa, his Sirisia counterpart John Waluke and Sports CS Rashid Echesa. Others are Mumias East MP Ben Washiali, Navakholo’s Emmanuel Wangwe, Bernard Shinali (Ikolomani), Moses Malulu (Malava) and Dan Wanyama (Webuye West).
Bungoma woman representative Catherine Wambilianga , MPs Moses Mabonga (Bumula) and Omboko Milemba of Emuhaya are in his camp.
Wambilianga said the region is keen on backing leaders who focus on development.
“We are no longer interested in party based politics. We will support the Deputy President who has shown the energy to change our country,” she said yesterday.
Washiali said Western region was shifting from the politics of handouts and empty promises to one that is focused on the betterment of the lives of people.
“This development that we aspire to have will come from the partnerships and working engagements from leaders with people’s interest at heart,” he said.