DNK International By Governor Press Service
Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka has said the Luhya community is not yet prepared to mount a serious bid for the presidency in the 2027 General Election.
Speaking at St Patrickโs Naitiri High School in Tongaren while presenting development funds on behalf of President William Ruto, Lusaka argued that defeating an incumbent president requires immense political capital and financial muscle resources he said no leader from the Mulembe nation currently possesses.
โFor anyone to beat President Ruto in 2027, you must have both political and financial muscle,โ Lusaka said.
โTell me, among our Luhya brothers and sisters, who has the financial capacity to run a nationwide campaign and create political euphoria across the country?โ
The Governor maintained that the most viable option for the Luhya community is to align with President Rutoโs leadership, consolidate influence within government, and build the necessary political and economic strength ahead of the post-2032 succession.
โThe best we can do now is to work with President Ruto, gain experience, resources and national networks so that when he retires in 2032, the Mulembe nation will be ready to take a serious shot at the presidency,โ he said.
Lusaka described the strategy as a calculated move rather than surrender, noting that premature ambition could harm the communityโs long-term interests.
โA tactical retreat is not cowardice; it is a strategy in war. Let us not mislead our people and end up performing miserably,โ he cautioned.
The Governor, who also serves as the Western Kenya coordinator for President Rutoโs re-election campaign, expressed confidence that the Head of State would secure a second term in 2027.
He further cited historical precedents to support his argument, pointing to the late Vice President Michael Kijana Wamalwaโs unsuccessful presidential bid.
โEven the late Wamalwa Kijana vied and lost because he lacked the necessary financial and political muscle,โ Lusaka said.
[DNK-International@January 7,2026]
