Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has challenged President William Ruto’s political opponents to explain what they intend to offer Kenyans before promising to reverse policies and development programmes implemented by the Kenya Kwanza administration.

Mudavadi questioned the agenda of those seeking to overturn government initiatives in education, affordable housing, healthcare, roads and markets, arguing that such a move would deny Kenyans the benefits of programmes already under implementation.

He particularly questioned opposition calls to reverse the construction of dykes in Budalangi and efforts to remove inter-border trade barriers between Kenya and Uganda, saying such policies were directly linked to the interests of people in Busia and other border counties.

“When you say you will reverse the policies that have led to the employment of an additional more than 76,000 teachers, the progress within the affordable housing programme, the gains in the health sector, the construction of roads and markets among other gains, what is your agenda for the future of this country?” Mudavadi asked.

“People want to come to Busia and tell you that they want to reverse the construction of Dykes at Budalangi and the removal of inter-boarder trade barriers between Kenya and Uganda. Are they meaning well for the people of Busia and Kenya?” he added.

Mudavadi was speaking in Butula Constituency, Busia County, where he met UDA grassroots members from the county. He also used the meeting to warn those seeking to challenge Ruto in the 2027 presidential election that winning the presidency requires more than political rallies, sloganeering and tours across the country.

He said presidential candidates must present well-crafted policies, a clear agenda and a track record capable of convincing voters to entrust them with the leadership of the country.

“People are busy dancing on top of podiums and engaging in sloganeering, thinking that reflects to winning the presidency. It takes more, it calls for well-crafted policies, an agenda and benchmarking on one’s track record to convince the voters to elect you,” Mudavadi said.

He mocked opposition politicians who have been touring Western Kenya and other parts of the country, saying their frequent appearances in different counties should not be mistaken for evidence that they have already secured the presidency.

“The team that is busy moving from one county to another, today they are seen dancing in Busia, tomorrow they are busy in Kakamega, the following day you meet them in Trans Nzoia, then Vihiga and Bungoma, thinking they have won the presidency. I want to tell them they are only practising to keep fit. They are much far away from the realities of winning the presidency,” he added.

The Prime CS said President Ruto had done a lot for the country and argued that his re-election was guaranteed by his popularity, which he attributed to progressive policies, a development track record and national unity.

He cautioned against attempts to divide Kenyans through ethnic pronouncements and propaganda aimed at portraying the Ruto administration as having failed to keep its promises.

Mudavadi also criticised the opposition wing in Western Kenya for boasting about its activities in five counties as evidence that it had gained control of the region and was therefore on course to capture the presidency.

He cited Article 138 of the Constitution, explaining the threshold a presidential candidate must meet to be declared the winner.

“Constitutionally, under the provisions of Article 138, a candidate shall be declared elected as President if the candidate receives more than half of all the votes cast in the election; and at least twenty-five per cent of the votes cast in each of more than half of the counties, which is 24 counties of the 47 counties,” Mudavadi explained.

He said the unity between UDA and ODM under the Broad-Based Government arrangement would give Ruto a winning formula for the 2027 presidential election.

Mudavadi revealed that President Ruto would chair a joint UDA-ODM parliamentary meeting in Naivasha on Monday to craft a new roadmap for the future of the country before and after the 2027 General Election.

“We are convening as Broad-Based leadership both in the executive and in the two houses of Parliament. Our Governors will also be part of this crucial meeting to be chaired by President Ruto. Our main agenda, among others, is to harmonise our manifestos which borrowed a lot from each other pre-2022 elections. We want to plan ahead and focus on the future of our nation,” Mudavadi added.

He defended the decision by Kenya Kwanza to bring ODM into the Broad-Based Government, saying the move was intended to promote unity rather than exclude the opposition from government.

“When Kenya Kwanza won, we didn’t push the opposition, then led by ODM as the majority party, away. We embraced them and brought them on board under the leadership of the late Rt Hon. Raila Odinga to form a united front under broad-based. We were not selfish with the leadership of our nation. We wanted unity of purpose,” Mudavadi explained.

Mudavadi challenged the opposition to consider the combined political strength of Ruto and Raila Odinga, based on the votes they received in the 2022 General Election, and assess what the UDA-ODM cooperation could produce in 2027.

He predicted that the next General Election would surprise many by the margin through which Ruto would win.

“Take Ruto’s 7,176,141 (50.49 per cent) votes and Odinga’s 6,942,930 votes (48.85 per cent), then look at the current broad-based arrangement. Even if you take away 3 million votes from that total, and give the numbers to the opposition, will this change anything?” Mudavadi remarked.

The Prime CS further said Ruto would secure a fair, transparent and petition-free victory in the 2027 General Election through the democratic will of the people.

He called on Kenyans to turn out in large numbers in August 2027 and vote for Ruto’s second term, while urging young people in Busia to register as voters to boost Ruto’s numbers.

“When we talk of two-term, let us also emphasise on a petition-free win for President Ruto. Raundi hii ni two term bila petition, two term bila petition,” Mudavadi emphasised.

Mudavadi said those seeking to reverse policies introduced by the Kenya Kwanza administration and supported by the Broad-Based Government did not mean well for the country.

He said the dualling of the Rironi-Mau Summit Road was targeted to reach Malaba, while the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha through Narok and Kisumu was targeting a link between Kenya and Uganda through Malaba.

Mudavadi said the projects were among flagship initiatives that would open up Western Kenya, including Busia, and urged residents to consider their potential benefits before deciding how to vote in 2027.

“We want to correct the mistakes that have been there during the previous regimes. Our people have been taking between seven and eight hours from Nairobi to Western Kenya counties. Now we want to change that. We want our traders and farmers to get their products for export at the port of Mombasa faster through the SGR.

“For over 63 years, we have had policies that have affected our cross-border trade and we want to change. Our people in the border counties, including Busia, must benefit from these arrangements, and we need to always remember that Uganda is our biggest trading partner within the East African Region,” Mudavadi explained.

Mudavadi was accompanied by Busia Governor Paul Otuoma, Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka, Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula, MPs Mary Emase, John Waluke, Fred Ikana, David Ndakwa and Dan Wanyama.

Others were former MPs Sakwa Bunyasi and Alfred Agoi, together with Petronillah Were, the Deputy Head of Mission at the Kenyan Embassy in Addis Ababa, and Kelvin Lunani, UDA’s National Vice Chair.