Gachagua expected in Kakamega as battle for Western votes looms

The battle for the Western Kenya vote bloc is set to intensify when former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua visits the region on Saturday, May 24, 2025.

This will mark his inaugural tour of the Luhya Nation since launching the DCP on May 15, 2025, and unveiling former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala as the party’s deputy leader.

The tour comes at a significant moment, as Gachagua prepares to host nearly 5,000 delegates on June 3, 2025, for the official launch of DCP at the Kasarani Gymnasium.

The party has confirmed that it paid nearly Sh4 million to Sports Kenya, the state agency managing Moi International Sports Centre.

During the Kakamega visit, Malala is expected to formally introduce the DCP to his supporters, laying the groundwork for Gachagua to gain a foothold in Western Kenya.

“Western Kenya is ready for Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua,” said Malala.

The Kakamega trip is seen as a strategic move by Gachagua’s camp to test the waters before launching a series of follow-up rallies across the Western region.

The tour comes just days after Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya was arrested and charged with graft, triggering protests in his county.

Natembeya, a key critic of the Kenya Kwanza administration, is a member of the DAP-K party led by Eugene Wamalwa, a major player in Gachagua’s political circle.

Though Natembeya has yet to attend any DCP events, signals point to upcoming mega rallies by Gachagua that will span the Western region, including Trans Nzoia.

Gachagua has previously affirmed that Natembeya is a key cog of his camp ahead of the 2027 polls.

The Kakamega visit is also notable because another DAP-K politician, Mumias East MP Peter Salasya, was recently arrested and charged with incitement.

However, it remains unclear whether Salasya, who has launched nationwide tours for his 2027 presidential bid, will attend Saturday’s events.

He hails from the county.

Saturday’s tour is expected to serve as a political barometer for Gachagua, measuring his reception in Western Kenya amid growing indications that the region could become a key battleground ahead of the 2027 general election.

President William Ruto’s controversial sugar sector reforms have stirred tensions, with several Western leaders opposing the proposed leasing of key sugar factories, citing a lack of public participation.

Despite opposition from some quarters, President Ruto has doubled down on the reforms, stating that no changes will be made to the leasing of the four state-owned sugar mills.

He accused certain leaders of politicising the process and said he was dismantling cartels that have crippled the industry.

“Some leaders—I don’t understand them. You need to be humane. How do you want people to remain in poverty? I am prepared to put my name on the line because I know we are doing the right thing,” the President said at State House, Nairobi.

Gachagua is aggressively courting the Luhya community, signalling its growing importance as a voting bloc in the 2027 elections.

He has repeatedly told the community that it has the numbers to form the next government—if it aligns with Mt Kenya, one of Kenya’s largest voting blocs.

On Tuesday, the former deputy president argued that Western Kenya has failed to unite, weakening its political bargaining power.

“It’s sad that a large community like the Mulembe Nation is settling for leftovers. Why should such a populous group rely on pity and generosity when it has the numbers to lead? That does not make sense,” Gachagua said during a February 5, 2025, interview with Luhya-language radio stations.