The National Assembly in session //Photo courtesy
A member of the National Assembly from Nyanza is setting the stage to wage a fierce campaign aimed at unseating President William Ruto in 2027.
The lawmaker, who is currently in his third term, is reported to be marshaling his troops to traverse the country in a bid to clinch the presidency.
Insiders report that the MP failed to read from the “same script” as President William Ruto, who was formerly his close friend before the immediate Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Raila Odinga, shook hands with President Ruto.
He is one of the few leaders from Nyanza who unequivocally rejected the 2023/2024 Finance Bill, which culminated in nationwide mass riots.
Prior to the tabling of the bill in parliament, the lawmaker vowed to oppose it in totality, faulting the government for fronting the Finance Bill while the Finance Act of 2023 had not been implemented.
The MP, who had previously set out to popularize a party through which he believes he will run for president, went silent shortly after Odinga joined the Kenya Kwanza government.
The outspoken lawmaker has shifted his interest to the country’s top seat and is keen to deny Ruto a second term in office.
He had earlier said that the Luo community should focus on a plan that will see one of its own ascend to the presidency after Ruto exits office, adding that, as a close friend of President Ruto, he had insights into what it takes to win the presidency.
Though the lawmaker has not publicly declared interest in running for president in the forthcoming elections, insiders report that he is burning the midnight oil to put together a team of professionals, businesspersons, religious leaders, and political leaders ahead of 2027.
“Unlike many who have declared interest in the position, he is most ideal since he is action-oriented and has a clean record when it comes to leadership,” an insider said.
The seasoned legal expert is one of Odinga’s critics who has been elected twice through a party that is not affiliated with the political class. Twice, he has won against an ODM party candidate, even after the Chungwa party marshaled its manpower to challenge the lawmaker.
It is reported that the MP is currently in talks with leaders from Kisii, Central, and Western to form a formidable force.
His close allies have dismissed rumors suggesting that he is set to receive state funding as part of President Ruto’s alleged strategy to field multiple candidates in a divide-and-rule tactic.
“The current regime started off so well, but things have changed. Everybody is seeing that. It is not true. I think the MP is highly concerned about the governing of this country, and for sure, as long as Ruto is in government, he remains an enemy,” an ally of the lawmaker said.
The MP is scheduled to have a series of nationwide tours before an official announcement later this year, according to his handlers
Leave a comment