Musalia Mudavadi’s grassroots return stirs western Kenya political scene

For two weeks in a row, an energised Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has been holding eye-catching grassroots-based events through which he shares notes with the electorate on the achievements of President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration.

A fortnight ago, the former vice president declared at a fundraiser in Trans-Nzoia County that he would henceforth spend more time with citizenry on the ground after being out for a considerable period owing to international duty courtesy of his docket as Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

His revitalised presence on the ground has triggered a raft of media headlines and ruffled some feathers within the political arena, especially in his native Western Kenya where Opposition politics had hitherto started taking root.

Last weekend, Mudavadi was in President William Ruto’s hometown of Eldoret where he opened the local chapter of the Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) show and held an outdoor campaign in the City’s streets.

At both events, he enumerated the achievements of the Ruto regime and marshalled area residents to fully rally behind his efforts to unite and develop all parts of the country.

Mudavadi returned to Nairobi on Sunday morning to attend a church service with worshippers of Africa Israel Nineveh church in Westlands and thereafter held a meeting with Nairobi-based Luhyia leaders drawn from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

The African Israel Niniveh church is largely attended by worshippers from the Mulembe Nation of Western Kenya.

Pointedly, Mudavadi told the two congregations to register enmasse as voters so that they could express their wishes through the ballot in next year’s General Election.

The former Deputy Prime Minister asked members of the Luhyia community working in Nairobi to take their voter’s cards in the capital City from where they should exercise their democratic rights by voting in leaders of their choice on polling day, August 10, 2027.

He argued that it was a waste of time and resources for families to be travelling the long distance to Western Kenya to cast their votes when they could still do the same with very little or no expenditure at all.

“The bus fare to Western from Nairobi or vice versa is about Ksh2,000 at the moment.

“To take a family of five people to Western and back will consume Ksh2,000 both ways. This is money that can be spared and be invested in something else. We must be strategic and make the right decisions,” Mudavadi told the leaders gathered at Westlands Primary School.

On Monday, the former Minister for Finance was at the Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA) where he represented President Ruto at a regional youth conference of the influential church.

Mid last week, Mudavadi who was accompanied by COTU secretary-general met with the Western Kenya Co-ordinating Team for President William Ruto’s re-election chaired by Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka for a briefing on the progress so far made.

Others present were the Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula who is also the Vice-Chairperson of the caucus, Kiminini MP Kakai Bissau, Teso South MP Mary Emaase, UDA vice-chairman Kelvin Lunani and veteran lawyer Dan Amayo.

His whirlwind of forays has, however, attracted extreme curiosity on the political scene where questions are being bandied in relation to his activities and invigorated interest in the daily affairs of the Kenyan political landscape.

Noticeably, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and Co-operatives Development Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya have since dashed to the ground to stamp their authority there.

Only a week after Mudavadi’s visit, Oparanya was in Kitale last weekend in a similar fashion to preside over an empowerment programme that was disrupted by rowdy youths and later met officials of the local ODM branch.

On his part, Wetang’ula has been everywhere and anywhere in Western Kenya campaigning for the re-election of President William Ruto, the latest of his meetings having been in Matungu constituency, in Kakamega County on Sunday.

A striking curiosity between the Wetang’ula and Oparanya public engagements is that they are publicly canvassing, using proxies, to be appointed Deputy President to replace incumbent Prof Kithure Kindiki.

Two weeks ago, Mudavadi traversed sections of Western Kenya for four days running, during which trip he declared that he was back at the grassroots to advance the interests of the ruling Kenya Kwanza administration.

Mudavadi toured the Western counties of Trans-Nzoia, Kakamega and Vihiga where he attended both developmental and cultural functions.

“I am now back. From now henceforth, I am going to be on the ground with you so that we can listen to each other, play politics together and move forward in an organised manner like brothers and sisters,” he declared.

That declaration has rubbed a section of the political class, both at national level and in Western Kenya, the wrong way.