By Anderson Ojwang
In 2005, during the constitutional referendum, then Kanu Secretary General William Ruto developed a power takeover script from the nose of then immediate former President Daniel Arap Moi.
In Moi’s power script for the Kalenjin community, he told the community to listen to then former Cabinet Ministers Henry Kosgey and the late Nicholas Biwott as the community spokespersons.
In President Moi, he handed over the power baton to the two leaders to lead the community into any future political negotiations and asked the community to ignore Ruto.
But Ruto, who became a cog in the Orange movement against the Wako draft constitution and a student of the late Raila Amolo Odinga, rebelled and challenged the new Moi power matrix.
Ruto, with the support of Raila, organised a political ceremony at Eldoret Sports Club, where he was installed as a Kalenjin elder and subsequently the community spokesperson.
Ruto scored in his battle to galvanise the Kalenjin community and became their leader and finally rode to the presidency.
The script replay
Currently in Luhya land, the National Assembly Speaker Dr Moses Wetang’ula and Prime Cabinet Secretary Dr Musalia Mudavadi have been the mouthpieces of the community in the political dispensation.
Already the duo have declared presidential interest for the 2032 race and are supporting Ruto’s re-election plan.
Ahead of the 2022 general elections, the two leaders entered into a political alliance with Ruto to form the Kenya Kwanza Coalition and negotiated on behalf of the community.
Mudavadi and Wetang’ula have been leading President Ruto’s second-term re-election campaigns in Western Kenya but have started witnessing resistance from the community over the emergence of ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna as a potential presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections.
Musalia and Wetang’ula have already declared presidential intent for 2032 and will be supporting President Ruto’s re-election.
“In 2013, I traversed Western Kenya with Raila and the same in 2017. In 2022, I saw ahead and came with Ruto. We want to unite the Luhya and seek alliances with the Luo and the Kalenjin communities,” Wetang’ula said.
The Luhya declaration, June 26th
The June 26th 2026, on a Sunday in Bungoma County, will mark a new political dispensation for the Luhya community.
A homecoming for Sifuna and a day Luhya elders and the community will converge to bless and release him to the world to seek the presidency.
Trans Nzoia Governor, after a recent meeting, announced the homecoming and the important ceremony for Sifuna by the community before he goes out to seek the presidency.
He said the Bungoma homecoming rally will be used to unveil Sifuna’s presidential intent and undergo blessing from the community elders and leadership.
“We will be in Bungoma for a homecoming. All leaders will converge in Bungoma on that day. In Bungoma, the elders will bless our son, Sifuna, to go out in search of the presidency,” he said.
Sifuna’s script is similar to Ruto’s, who after his installation declared his presidential ambition and went ahead to contest for the ODM presidential nomination against Raila, Mudavadi, Najib Balala, and the late Joe Njaga.
And now Sifuna is emerging as one of the possible presidential contenders, and the Bungoma homecoming will mark a new chapter in his political journey.
Last Monday, leaders from the Luhya community in the opposition converged in Trans Nzoia in a meeting hosted by Governor George Natembeya and included Sifuna, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, among others.
Natembeya said the meeting was to consult and discuss politics and the future of Western Kenya as they head to next year’s general elections.
Natembeya said it was incumbent upon the Luhya community to discuss the future of the community and not relegate it to outsiders.
“We have started to plan our politics, and today we have agreed to start the journey with our people. We will have a meeting in Trans Nzoia on 25th July and a homecoming the next day on 26th in Bungoma,” he said.
The plan
In a move aimed at locking the Luhya votes into one basket, Natembeya said the community leaders will then embark on campaigns in all 38 constituencies to rally support for Sifuna.
“We will have meetings in every constituency in the Luhya community, while Sifuna will be traversing the country. We will traverse 38 constituencies in Western Kenya. Our MPs are in Ruto’s camp, so we declare war on them. We will be in one political party in next year’s election,” he said.
President Ruto has mapped Luhya land as one of his vote blocks, and the entry of Sifuna is complicating the 2027 arithmetic.
I will not let you down
For the first time, Sifuna came out purposeful and declared to the Luhya community that he will not let them down.
Sifuna has to contend with the harsh reality of overcoming the elusive Luhya unity, which for decades has been a mirage.
He thanked the community and the leaders for standing by him in his political quest.
“We were together in a 10-hour meeting with these leaders. I want to thank Natembeya. He has brought us together to speak and consult. I need Natembeya in my journey. I will not let you down. We are coming home to Bungoma, and I have traversed this country. They want leadership change. I am confident,” he said.
Sifuna’s emergence
Sifuna’s sudden rise has been because of his opposition to the broad-based government and his alleged sacking by the Dr Oburu Oginga-led faction as Secretary General.
“That is where the ODM Secretary General, Sifuna, saw the vacuum and took the opportunity. The truth is Sifuna has come out when there is opportunity, and the age factor is on his side. The Luhya community is big. Which ODM leader has come to Mt Kenya and people turn up in huge numbers if it is not Sifuna? Sifuna is accepted across the board. I have put my ambition aside. Sifuna Tosha,” Murang’a Governor Irungu Kangata said.
President Ruto’s script may be unfolding in Luhya land, and it is only a matter of time before he comes face to face in contest with his own script.
