United opposition will break before 2027 election, Lusaka says

President William Ruto aid Farauk Kibet and Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka campaigns for UDA candidate David Ndakwa at Shipala in Malava on October 23, 2025. [File, Standard]

Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka has cast doubt on the opposition’s ability to remain united ahead of the 2027 General Election, suggesting that widening internal rifts may trigger a collapse long before the country heads to the polls.

Speaking in Matete, Malava Constituency, where he joined the campaign trail for UDA parliamentary candidate David Ndakwa, Lusaka said the cracks within the opposition coalition were already visible.

 He pointed to escalating confrontations among senior opposition figures as evidence of deeper fractures threatening the alliance’s stability.

In a veiled critique targeting DCP deputy party leader Cleophas Malala and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, who have recently exchanged sharp public remarks, Lusaka said their clashes reflected a broader loss of cohesion.

“The opposition is already showing strain. The infighting you are witnessing today is just the beginning,” Lusaka told supporters.

Lusaka rallied residents to support a government-friendly candidate, saying such a move would strengthen the region’s access to national development programmes.

“You already have the marking scheme. Don’t take yourselves to the opposition. People join politics to form government, but some end up in the opposition by bad luck," he said.

On national politics, the governor expressed confidence that President William Ruto would secure a second term, arguing that the Western region had benefited significantly from the administration’s development agenda.

Disrupting that momentum, he said, would be detrimental.

He further urged local leaders to embrace a tolerant political atmosphere, calling out DAP–K politicians for labelling UDA campaigners as outsiders.

“It is unfair to label leaders from other regions who are coming to Malava to campaign for their preferred candidate as foreigners, especially when you yourselves are not from Kakamega. Let us embrace fair and tolerant politics,” Lusaka said.

The by-election in Malava has intensified political activity in the region, with both government and opposition camps seeking to shore up influence ahead of the next electoral cycle.