President Ruto’s allies in the broad-based government have stepped up efforts to win Western Kenya’s support for his re-election in 2027, urging the region to shelve plans to field its own presidential candidate and instead position itself for the top seat in 2032.
The campaign, led by Ruto’s personal assistant Farouk Kibet, is built around an argument that Western Kenya can improve its chances of producing a president by supporting Ruto’s second term before seeking to take over the country’s leadership after 2032.
Kibet said presidential ambitions must be backed by strong political alliances and a broad national support base, arguing that simply declaring a candidate without first building strategic partnerships would not guarantee victory.
“Mtu hawezi kuamka leo aseme anataka kuwa Rais Kesho. Lazima utafute marafiki. Ndio tunasema, sisi tuungane. Baada ya Ruto, uongoze uje magharibi mwa Kenya,” Kibet stated.
He urged leaders and residents in Western Kenya to work with communities that reject ethnic politics and build a broader national coalition, saying such alliances would give the region a stronger foundation for a future presidential bid.
The remarks come amid growing efforts to mobilise support for Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna-led Linda Mwananchi movement, with some leaders positioning the political formation as a possible vehicle for a presidential bid in the 2027 General Election.
Ruto’s allies, however, have questioned the viability of fielding a Western Kenya presidential candidate without first establishing whether such a candidate has enough support to win the election.
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot challenged Western Kenya leaders to assess the electoral strength of any candidate they intend to put forward instead of treating the mere presence of a presidential candidate on the ballot as a political victory.
“Hakuna rekodi umevunja. Ya muhimu ni ujiulize ukisimama, utapata ama namna gani?” Cheruiyot said, questioning the value of fielding a candidate who could win only a handful of parliamentary seats before being forced to negotiate with the eventual winner.
The Kericho Senator instead urged Western Kenya to work with the Kenya Kwanza administration, arguing that cooperation with the government would increase the region’s influence and accelerate development.
Cheruiyot also dismissed opposition hopes of defeating Ruto in the 2027 election, comparing the challenge to attempts to remove former President Mwai Kibaki from power after his first term.
“Kama Mwai Kibaki, alikuwa amezeeka, watu wakajaribu kuvuruta hiyo kiti kutoka kwake term ya kwanza, na hawakutoboa, sasa huyu Ruto mwenye halali, hafungi macho, wataweza kweli? Hiyo ni ndoto ya mchana,” he said.
South Mugirango MP Sylvanus Osoro reinforced the message, declaring that Ruto would not become Kenya’s first one-term president and urging Western Kenya residents to support his administration.
“Western Kenya, mimi nimekuja kuwaambia, hakuna Rais Kenya anaenda term moja. Sahau, sahau, sahau. Hakuna. Haiwezekani,” Osoro declared.
Osoro said the government’s performance justified giving Ruto another term, urging residents to support the administration as it seeks to consolidate its development agenda.
Butere MP Tindi Mwale also urged Western Kenya to reconsider calls for the region to produce a presidential candidate in 2027, describing President Ruto as a political neighbour whose leadership should first be supported before the region makes its own presidential bid.
“Uongozi ukiwa kwa jirani, unasaidia jirani amalize na yeye akupatie uongozi,” Mwale said, arguing that Western Kenya should support Ruto in 2027 before reorganising for a Presidential campaign in 2032.
The renewed push comes as Western Kenya increasingly emerges as a key battleground ahead of the 2027 General Election, with competing political formations seeking to influence the region’s voting bloc.
While Ruto’s allies are advocating for a strategic alliance with the President, opposition-linked leaders have intensified grassroots mobilisation in the region, setting the stage for a potentially fierce contest over Western Kenya’s political direction.
The emerging debate is therefore shaping up around two competing strategies: supporting Ruto in 2027 in exchange for a stronger political position ahead of 2032, or pursuing an immediate presidential challenge in the next election.
