By County Splash Reporter
The political fortunes of Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Speaker Moses Wetang’ula now hang in the balance as new political forces emerge in Western Kenya to topple them.
At the centre of the brewing storm, is their once-trusted allies, Barack Muluka and Godfrey Kanoti, have thrown their weight behind the Umoja Summit Party of Kenya (USPK), vowing to unseat the two as the region’s political kingpins.
The duo while addressing the media at Mr Muluka’s home in Emanyulia village in Butere constituency, they said that they will give the Mulembe Nation ‘political direction’ ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Dr Muluka, the former Amani National Congress (ANC) Secretary General who resigned ahead of the 2022 general elections, now holds the same position at USPK, while Godfrey Kanoti, a former Khwisero parliamentary aspirant, is the party leader.
Both men are vocal in their criticism of Mudavadi and Wetang’ula, accusing them of failing to deliver on key promises made to the Luhya community, particularly under the Kenya Kwanza administration.
“During his campaigns, President William Ruto promised the Western region a bottom-up economic model that will revive the region’s economically, but since taking office, he has failed to deliver. Mudavadi and Wetang’ula should have fought to ensure these commitments were honored, but instead, they’ve remained silent,” Muluka said.
The promises, outlined in the Kenya Kwanza agreement, were substantial: the revival of collapsed sugar companies like Mumias and Nzoia, the upgrading of 1,000 kilometers of roads to bitumen standards, the establishment of manufacturing and agro-processing industries, and the completion of stalled projects from the Uhuru Kenyatta administration.
He says the ministry of interior and coordination of national government was to be placed under the pcs office of Mudavadi but he didn’t defend that. “If somebody cannot defend himself, how will he defend other people?”
Perhaps most crucially, the agreement also called for 30 per cent of all government appointments to be given to the Western region. Yet, Muluka claims Mudavadi and Wetang’ula have failed to hold Ruto accountable.
“Mudavadi has abdicated his responsibility. By dissolving ANC into UDA, the Kenya Kwanza agreement is essentially useless,” ….”Mudavadi and Wetang’ula are unreliable and have proven themselves incapable of defending what was promised. It’s time for them to be politically vanquished.”~ Muluka
Muluka’s frustrations boil over as he declares, “We supported Ruto in ANC, believing he would bring a new style of leadership, but he has failed. It is time for Ruto to retired in 2027 when USPK will form the next government. He should not lead this country any longer.”
The growing dissatisfaction with the current leadership has prompted Muluka and Kanoti to position USPK as a credible alternative for Luhya political leadership.
With Mudavadi’s ANC folding into the UDA camp, Muluka argues that the party, along with Mudavadi’s political relevance, is dead.
“Mudavadi has abdicated his responsibility. By dissolving ANC into UDA, the Kenya Kwanza agreement is essentially useless,” Muluka argues. “Mudavadi and Wetang’ula are unreliable and have proven themselves incapable of defending what was promised. It’s time for them to be politically vanquished.”
Kanoti echoes Muluka’s sentiments, emphasizing that the Luhya community deserves better leadership. “We formed USPK to offer a fresh leadership that believes on democracy and good governance as the alternative vehicle to the people of the Western region. Mudavadi and Wetang’ula are shadows of their former selves, and it’s time for them to step aside,” he says.
USPK has also capitalized on the perception that many loyal supporters of the Kenya Kwanza government from the Western region feel sidelined. Kanoti points to the dominance of ODM figures in key government positions, leaving Mudavadi as the only Luhya representative in the Cabinet, with Wetang’ula holding just the Health docket.
“We have so many people from Western who fought hard to form the Kenya Kwanza government and are in the cold, but now we see masqueraders from ODM filling a third of the government positions,” Kanoti laments. “Mudavadi stands alone in the Cabinet, and Wetang’ula has only a token position. It’s clear the Luhya community has been sidelined.”
But Kanoti has made made it clear that USPK is not merely a vehicle for replacing Mudavadi and Wetang’ula. “We are not creating a space to fight them the way others might think. We are not their proxies. USPK offers a new and inclusive leadership to all. Perhaps in the future, Mudavadi can join our party as an ordinary member, but for now, the focus is on building a national movement.”
In a further jab at Wetang’ula’s leadership of Ford Kenya, Kanoti dismisses the party’s current state, calling it “in ICU.”
He argues that Ford Kenya has become Wetang’ula’s “private jet” for his political ambitions, but now, the party is collapsing under his leadership. “No one should be relying on Wetang’ula politically,” Kanoti asserts.
Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, both Muluka and Kanoti envision a new political trajectory for the Luhya community. They argue that by that time, a Luhya must be either a presidential candidate or a running mate, given the community’s significant numbers. “The Luhya people can no longer afford to be sidelined,” Muluka declares. “It’s time for us to reclaim our political destiny.”
Euegen Wamalwa with his DAP-K party is also making inroads in the region.
