Luhyas should stop dreaming of ascending to the presidency unless they consolidate their voting power, former Westlands MP Fred Gumo has said.
Gumo said ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi is the best candidate for president but his ambition remains a pipe dream unless the community registers in numbers and votes in 2022.
"As a region, we must first start by registering as many voters as possible and turning out to vote. Elections are won during voter registration," he said.
Gumo said that the region should take advantage of its numerical strength to push through its quest for power.
"Mudavadi is one of the cleanest politicians we have today because he has not wronged anyone or stolen anything and that is what Kenya wants for president," he said in Khwisero.
Musalia can't become president by just word of mouth, he said. "It's easier to shout that Mudavadi should be president, even a madman can do that," Gumo said.
Gumo said the Luhya was the second-most populous community and should register a minimum of 3.5 million voters.
With registered voters, he said, the community will be attractive to other communities for political deals.
There are 1.9 million voters in Western and another estimated one million in the diaspora.
Gumo said boda boda operators should volunteer to ferry all those yet to be registered to vote.
"The community must also drop the culture of handouts. You should know that you can eat but place the vote where you want. It's not necessary that you must vote for whoever gave you handouts," he said.
Mudavadi is angling to make his second stab at the top job after a dismal performance in his first attempt in 2013 when he finished a distant third.
Mudavadi supported ODM boss Raila Odinga in 2017 under the Nasa banner but he has since declared he is done with supporting others.
(Edited by V. Graham)
