Luhyas, Luos in Nairobi unite, form mega movement ahead of 2027 polls

Members of the Luhya and Luo communities living in Nairobi and other major towns have formed a mega movement in a show of unity ahead of the 2027 elections.

The grassroots leaders mainly from Nairobi have christened the movement ‘The Nairobi we want’ with its main agenda being unifying members of the two neighbouring communities to consolidate their vote as they are the largest bloc in the capital city.

According to the conveners, the two communities enjoy massive influence in Nairobi and that it is time this numerical strength is felt in the coming elections.

During a meeting held at the Holy Saints Cathedral in Nairobi on Thursday, they endorsed Mombasa-based businessman Brian Anguba as their patron, saying it was their desire to bring the two communities together to foster unity of purpose on the political chessboard.

In a joint communique, representatives of the two communities unanimously said they were planning a strategic meeting ahead of the forthcoming elections with the aim of sponsoring candidates from the ward level to the 17 constituencies and to the top most City seat.

They discouraged the two communities which have numbers in terms of votes to utilise the remaining window and register as voters in the city and desist from trooping to vote in their rural constituencies as has been the habit during previous electoral cycles.

The conveners of the meeting – Brian Yobra (Embakasi South) and Madadi Sakwa (Westlands) – said Thursday’s meeting was the first joint one between the two communities living in Nairobi to chart the way for the two communities in city politics.

“We will go around all the 17 constituencies and the 85 wards in Nairobi and identify our people who will contest for the various seats,” they said, insisting that the movement was not working under the whims of anybody.

The patron, Anguba, said the two communities must find unity of purpose and not be used as guinea pigs at election time.

“We must find unity of purpose by identifying those who will vouch for leadership from the grassroots to the constituency level. We should not be cowards when it comes to elective seats,” he said.

Former Youth for Kanu ’92 member Alex Mukabwa who was appointed director at the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) during the Kibaki regime, and who is an elder of the group, told members in attendance that the biggest business in the world today was politics and they must dread carefully when investing in politics.