Africa-Press – Kenya. National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has joined hands with Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya in a coordinated effort to unite the Luhya community and strengthen its bargaining power ahead of the 2027 polls.
Wetang’ula said the three senior leaders had agreed to close ranks and offer collective leadership as a basis for consolidating the community’s political influence at the national level.
“If we are serious about uniting our people, we must first unite ourselves. That is why Mudavadi, Oparanya and I have agreed to put words into action,” he said.
The Speaker was speaking at Seregeya village, at the home of the late former Likuyani MP Enoch Wamalwa Kibunguchy, where he led MPs and other leaders in condoling with the bereaved family.
He said the unity drive would be expanded to include other leaders across the Western region, noting that the Luhya community could only command meaningful bargaining power in national politics if it spoke with one voice and voted as a bloc.
“Our strength lies in unity. As leaders, we have no option but to bring our people together as we look beyond the presidency of President William Ruto,” Wetang’ula said.
The Speaker, who serves in President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration as third in command, said the leaders were mobilising the community to support the President’s re-election, arguing that a strong alliance with the current government would position the region favourably in the future.
He said the Luhya community stood a realistic chance of producing a president if it rallied behind President Ruto, who could, after serving two terms, support a candidate from the region.
Wetang’ula also mourned the deaths of two prominent Luhya leaders, businessman and former Cabinet minister Cyrus Jirongo and former MP Kibunguchy both of whom passed away during the festive season.
He urged leaders and young people to maintain dignity during funerals, warning against chaos and political disorder at burial ceremonies.
“Leaders who encourage disorder at funerals must stop this outdated behaviour and respect the dead and grieving families,” he said.
Recalling a past burial where he and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka were heckled, Wetang’ula said such conduct was un-African and went against Luhya traditions.
“Let us not repeat the chaos witnessed during the burial of Kibunguchy’s mother. That behaviour does not reflect who we are as a people,” he said.
The Speaker also highlighted development projects being implemented by President Ruto’s administration in the Western region, including the resumption of construction works at the Kakamega Level Six Hospital and plans for a similar facility in Bungoma County.
He said the projects would improve healthcare services and reduce the need for patients to seek treatment in Eldoret or Nairobi.
He also cited the tarmacking of key roads and the settlement of long-standing dues owed to former Pan Paper employees as evidence of the government’s commitment to the region.
Likuyani MP Innocent Mugabe said he had completed development projects initiated by Kibunguchy as a mark of respect for his predecessor.
“I made it my responsibility to ensure that all projects started by Dr Kibunguchy were completed in his honour,” he said.
Mugabe urged residents to rally behind Wetang’ula, describing him as the most senior leader from the region and a potential successor to President Ruto in the future.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Kanduyi MP John Makali and Webuye East MP Martin Pepela, who said Wetang’ula was their preferred presidential candidate after President Ruto’s tenure.
“The Luhya community should unite in honour of Cyrus Jirongo and Kibunguchy, who were strong champions of our unity,” Pepela said.
Mr. Makali noted that Wetang’ula, as patron of the Western MPs Caucus, had played a key role in strengthening cohesion among leaders from the region.
Bungoma County Assembly Speaker Emmanuel Situma and Majority Leader Joseph Juma Nyongesa were among the leaders in attendance.
Jirongo will be laid to rest (tomorrow) December 30 at his Lumakanda home in Bungoma County.
