Wandayi and political awakening in Luo Nyanza

Soon, Luo Nyanza will be a melting pot of 2027 election politics, with the government and the opposition haggling over a chunk of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s voting bloc.

In the 2022 elections, 2,160,511 people from the four counties of Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori and Siaya registered as voters, with 1,485,009 voting for the ODM leader and a paltry 70,353 voting for UDA candidate William Ruto.

Subsequently, in the latest data released by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in April this year, Nyanza registered 189,368 new voters during the Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration, with Siaya, Kisumu, Home Bay and Migori registering 44,084, 45,265, 53,535 and 46,484 respectively. These numbers are projected to increase exponentially in the run-up to August 2027 elections.

This bountiful harvest is what makes Nyanza appealing to the eyes of many presidential hopefuls who will be rushing to pitch tent in the region. The question that lingers is, firstly, will Luo Nyanza get out the vote in a Raila-less presidential election? And secondly, which political figure in the Broad-based political arrangement between UDA and ODM has the wherewithal to stand as the avatar of Luo voting bloc and sail the region towards President Ruto’s direction?

In a normal scenario, Oburu Odinga should have been the bonafide kingpin of the Luo Nyanza region, seeing as he is the current leader of ODM - a coronation that happened upon passing of his brother Raila.

In his initial days at Orange House, Dr Oburu was adamant in his pronouncements, calling for the implementation of the 10-point agenda signed between Raila Odinga and President Ruto, rallying the Luo nation behind the Broad-based government, and making a reservation for the second highest seat on the land - proposing that ODM be given the running mate position in Ruto’s re-election arrangement.

Should Ruto seek to have a coalition of sorts with ODM, therefore, he will need to pick someone within ODM, and specifically from Luo Nyanza as a running mate. That person though should have the ground support and the centripetal force that will pull the masses towards them. In the long-list of political heavyweights eyeing this position are Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi, and his Treasury counterpart James Mbadi. Dr Oburu who was initially thought to be interested in a running mate position has since vacated that stand and et his eye on his re-election as Siaya Senator.

On the hand, Hassan Joho and Wycliffe Oparanya, who deputised Raila in the party leadership, have the unfortunate disadvantage of coming from Coast and Western regions. And with Wanga pre-occupied with her re-election campaigns and Mbadi shrinking under the weight of economic demands and the nation’s money matters, the party may have to settle for one Wandayi as the region’s spokesperson.

Wandayi’s energy docket gives him the legroom to traverse the Luo kingdom as he expands Kenya’s electricity coverage to the last mile, and in the process interact with women, youth and the elderly villagers in hunt for votes.

His sobriety, now and in the past, in political and national matters and loyalty to Raila - that at one point led to his ejection from Parliament precincts - places him at the pinnacle of Nyanza succession plan. Before joining the Broad-based Government, Wandayi was Ugunja MP and Minority Leader at the National Assembly.

In a world where politicians have a penchant for drama and chaos, Wandayi signifies a new order where people-centred leadership is defined by how many hearts you touch and how many lives you transform; because the new generation of voters only reward those who build systems that work, forge alliances across the spectrum, and offer solutions to kitchen-table issues that affect every day Kenyans.

In Nyanza, Wandayi is seen as a reassuring figure and an avatar of political stability in the face of confusion and scepticism as the region heads into their first-ever democratic election without Raila. To build consensus and win over support in the region, Wandayi has engaged regional leaders including the Luo Council of Elders, veteran politicians, the clergy and special interest groups including youth and women.

His national profile has also risen under President Ruto, with the CS representing Kenya in regional and international high-level meetings.

-The writer is a political communications strategist