DNK International By Our Reporter,Kakamega
Ayub Savula, the Deputy Governor of Kakamega County and former Lugari MP, has built a political career shaped by media savvy, shifting alliances and high stakes decisions that continue to define his influence in Western Kenya.
Born and raised in the region (Lugari), Savula is in his mid 50’s and was educated locally before training in journalism at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication, later earning degrees in communication and public relations, including postgraduate studies at Moi University.
He began his professional life as a journalist with the Standard Group, working in Kakamega, Kisumu and Nairobi, where his reporting and editorial roles exposed him to grassroots politics and national power circles, experience that eased his transition into elective politics.
Savula entered politics in 2013, winning the Lugari parliamentary seat, which he held for two terms, becoming known as a vocal legislator and skilled communicator.
His career, however, was not without controversy, most notably a high profile alleged advertising fraud case in which he and his two wives alongside other individuals were later acquitted by the courts, allowing him to continue his political journey without court battles.
In the run up to the 2022 elections, he made a decisive move by dropping his bid for Kakamega Governor and instead settling for the deputy governor position, a strategic retreat that secured him executive power at the county level while keeping his wider ambitions alive.
Politically, Savula has walked alongside Kenya’s most influential leaders at different moments, maintaining close ties with the late ODM Raila Odinga, working within coalitions allied to former President Uhuru Kenyatta, and more recently aligning himself with President William Ruto.
His defection to the ruling side culminated in his appointment as Deputy Coordinator of Ruto’s re-election campaign in Western Kenya, deputising Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka, a role meant to consolidate government support in the vote rich region.
Yet his authority has faced tests, most visibly when his warning against holding the Linda Mwananchi rally in Kakamega town on Saturday was ignored, an episode critics interpret as a signal that his grip on grassroots mobilisation is not absolute.
Known for his flamboyance,Savula last year took around his office the former Vihiga Deputy Governor Caleb Amaswache showing him his portioned and decorated office when he paid him a courtesy call.
Both of them come from the same Bunyore sub tribe of Luyia tribe,Amaswache who was the first Deputy Governor of Vihiga deputising Rev.Moses Akaranga had gone public that he was faced with financial difficulties and selling firewood in Luanda town to make ends meet and eke a living after “backing off” from active politics for some years.
Savula is also remembered for blunt political remarks and unapologetic shifts that underscore his reputation as a survivor in Kenya’s fluid political landscape.
As Western Kenya remains a battleground for national power, Savula’s journey from journalist to deputy governor illustrates both the opportunities and limits of political influence in a region where loyalty, symbolism and numbers matter as much as titles.
Want to be featured? or have a personality want to know about him or her:
📞WhatsApp: +254703633820,+254754168624
✉️ Email: dailynewskenya0@gmail.com
🗓️ [DNK-International@February 23,2026]
