For Mulembe Nation to ascend to power, it should go through Musalia Mudavadi

Musalia Mudavadi has politically carved out his niche, which has seen him stand out as the best leader to lead the Mulembe nation to the promised land in 2032.

Unlike many political figures who have been in public service for decades, Musalia’s integrity and clean record speak for themselves, noting that in Kenya’s political arena, integrity is strength, not weakness.

Musalia has not just woken up and placed himself at the helm of the Western Kenya and the country’s political arena; he has the experience he has earned through his steady rise in the country’s politics, where he has served as a minister in various capacities, including local government, agriculture, finance, and also as Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and now Prime Cabinet Secretary (PCS) and Foreign Affairs cabinet secretary.

Actually, it is only Mudavadi who has served in all cabinet ministries, leave for the State Law office and presidency.

Unlike other known politicians, you will hardly hear him exchanging verbal unpleasantness. His sober and calm nature has made him an all-round acceptable leader across the political divide, for leadership is not about how loudly you can make noise in a public gathering; it is political stability, experience, and maturity that matter more than insults.

Having commanded huge respect for his bold move to stop the exchequer-draining Goldenberg scandal and for establishing the now thriving Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) during his tenure as Finance Minister in the 1990s, he stands out as among the few, if not the only one, within the broad-based government cabinet who is not from Ruto’s Kalenjin community and yet has stamped his loyalty, ambition, respect, conviction, and commitment to the government he serves.

With hardly two years to the next (2027) general election, Musalia still remains one of President William Ruto’s close confidants as far as the Mulembe political following is concerned, and the two seem to be reading from the same script of ensuring the two-term agenda is delivered.

The current Prime Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia made his declaration clear three years ago that he would be backing President Ruto’s re-election in 2027, and he is walking the talk.

President William Ruto himself has not hidden his liking and companionship for the 65-year-old former Deputy Prime Minister and has further insinuated that he is the best candidate to take over the country’s leadership mantle upon the lapse of his two terms in 2032.

Musalia is tasked with diplomatic duties, both continentally and globally, aimed at strengthening cooperation and bilateral relations. The position is a plus for him, as he has the ambience to meet and mingle with different personalities, hence sharpening and marketing himself as a universal leader.

On several occasions, President William Ruto has openly displayed his soft spot for Musalia, stating that he was better placed to lead the Mulembe brigade to support his two terms and, in turn, that he (Ruto) would rally his kinsmen to vote for him in 2032 as a way of returning the favour.

Perhaps what makes Musalia likeable across the board is his style and call for respectful politics, where he has never built his career on insulting opponents or communities. Musalia is among the few leaders who believe in elevating rather than degrading the country’s political status.

His modus operandi has worked well for him, as he has stood as a national unity champion, consistently promoting peace and unity over tribalism. This has seen him collaborate well with leaders from all regions within and across the continent for the good of the country.

Many perceive his calmness as cowardice, lest they forget that calm leadership is not cowardice. Musalia has mastered the trajectory of Kenyan politics to his future favour, which is quickly knocking at the door. He is known to be a calm, respectful, and diplomatic leader, qualities that very few politicians harbour and which are often misinterpreted as weakness, yet which Kenya needs—problem-solvers, not perpetual fighters.

The Mulembe kingpin comes in handy at a time when the populous Kikuyu community, which largely contributed to the voter weight in favour of Ruto’s August 2022 election as President of Kenya, has considerably drifted its support from the incumbent. It is in Western, alongside Nyanza, Coast, and North Eastern regions that gave him fewer votes, where Ruto is now casting his net wider to cover for the Central votes that continue to prove elusive as the 2027 polls near.

President William Ruto is keenly hunting for the Western region’s over 2.1 million votes from Vihiga, Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, and Trans-Nzoia counties, which are expected to be delivered through the Mulembe leaders led by Musalia Mudavadi, as this will substitute the Central votes.

Already, Ruto’s campaign team, led by Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka and Farouk Kibet on the side, is working to woo the electorate in Western Kenya to rally behind the President with a view to replacing the evaporated support from Central Kenya.

Since Mudavadi remains the most prominent and recognisable politician from the region in the Ruto regime, he is tasked with ensuring that the Mulembe votes are delivered to the President’s basket and assuring him of full support in return during his 2032 tenure.

To strengthen the delivery of the Western bloc, President Ruto last month appointed Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka to coordinate the Kenya Kwanza Alliance 2027 pre-election campaigns, where Mudavadi, together with National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, Cooperatives Development Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya, and Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli, have been mandated to ensure that the Mulembe nation votes are delivered to Ruto’s camp.

Musalia has been in various governments leading the nation, having attracted the trust of multiple administrations, showing reliability and competence, and this has catapulted him to the high ranks of leadership.

Being the third-highest-ranking and most experienced member within the Kenya Kwanza administration, Mudavadi towers above the rest of the relatively younger 22-member executive and has emerged as a crucial cog in the wheel of Ruto’s re-election bid come next year, as he is now one of the key players who will have to slug it out in the trenches to ensure Ruto retains State House when the election comes.

His ripeness for 2032 has been sharpened through the various dockets he has held, ranging from Prime Cabinet Secretary, Vice President, Finance Minister, Minister for Transport and Communications, Minister for Local Government, Minister for Supplies and Marketing, and Minister for Agriculture.

His expertise in Cabinet matters saw him being appointed as the acting Cabinet Secretary heading 21 ministries for a fortnight after the Gen Z protests in 2024 that saw President Ruto send home all the ministers.

His ability to compose himself, besides having strong shock absorbers, has seen him be at centre stage of Ruto’s re-election bid without doubt, with his track record, loyalty, respect, and service delivery characterising his well-beaten trail.

For the Mulembe nation, in him they have a representation of dignity, wisdom, and national outlook, as he believes in leadership of positive influence and respect, not chest-thumping.

Having been tested, tried, and proven, Mudavadi has stood by his consistency and principles, and at times he has had to swallow the political bitter pill, where propaganda fades but legacy remains.

On January 23, 2022, Musalia quit the opposition One Kenya Alliance (OKA) to team up with William Ruto in what came to be famously referred to as “The Earthquake,” an event that took place at the Bomas of Kenya. Yet last year, he swallowed his pride, folding his Amani National Congress (ANC) party to merge with Ruto’s UDA, a move that attracted mixed reactions from his supporters and Mulembe kinsmen.

However, when asked why many political pundits termed it a “suicidal move,” Musalia reiterated, stating:

“I did not want the President to be looking behind his shoulder wondering what is happening there. We wanted the President to fully concentrate on his work and succeed without having to worry about those behind him at all.”

The sacrificial move angered his close allies, who scattered and joined different political outfits in protest, with many stating that he had dug his own political grave.

However, recently, in a turn of events, the courts reinstalled the party and handed it back to him.

He is also on record for supporting the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for the presidency twice, Uhuru once, and Ruto twice (in addition to next year).

His loyalty remains unquestionable over the years, and with the departure of the ODM party leader from the Kenyan political landscape, the ODM voting demographics are up for grabs following a limitless succession brouhaha that has gripped the once political powerhouse.

Musalia Mudavadi, himself a close friend of the late Raila, has the onerous task of helping Ruto weave a meticulous pathway that will guarantee the President overwhelming support not only in the Mulembe nation but also in other ODM-dominated areas around the country, considering that both Ruto and Mudavadi are founder members of the now-split ODM party.

As he joins forces with President William Ruto, his known quest for honouring the legacy of service, peace, and responsible leadership has attracted the entire Mulembe nation to rally behind him as their best shot in 2032.