How Western governors are crafting campaign plan for Ruto's re-election

From left: Western region governors Fernandes Barasa, Paul Otuoma, Kenneth Lusaka and Wilbur Ottichilo, address a press briefing in Kakamega, on January 14, 2026.  [Benard Lusigi, Standard]

Four Western region governors have kicked off a grassroots campaign for President William Ruto’s re-election.

Kakamega's Fernandes Barasa, Paul Otuoma of Busia, Wilbur Ottichilo (Vihiga) and Kenneth Lusaka of Bungoma said they have started a series of grassroots meetings to consolidate support for Ruto and unite the region to speak in one voice and have bargaining power ahead of the 2027 polls.

"We are going to support President Ruto so that we can have a bigger stake in the next government, and we are going to meet people and push for implementation of key projects," Barasa told the press in Kakamega.

Barasa, who is ODM Kakamega County branch chairman, said he endorses the party's Central Management Committee's decision to initiate talks for a pre-election pact with the ruling UDA.

"We support the decision by the Central Management Committee, where the committee has mandated the party to initiate formal talks for a pact with UDA ahead of the 2027 General Election. We are going to ensure we win all seats under the ODM-UDA coalition, and we are fully behind the broad-based government," he said.

Otuoma, who is the ODM chair in Busia, said it is essential for the region to make informed political decisions, including supporting Ruto’s reelection and the broad-based government, as well as backing the ODM party’s decision on a coalition pact with UDA.

"We have agreed to support the resolutions by our party’s Central Management Committee, our departed leader [Raila Odinga] left us in the broad-based government, and as governors we are ready for coalition talks with UDA, and our position is that we are supporting our party leader, Oburu Odinga," said Otuoma.

Vihiga Governor Ottichilo stressed the importance of unity as a community, adding that the region stands to benefit politically and economically by supporting Ruto.

"We have had a very serious meeting today, and we have agreed we are going to work together. We want to assure our people that we are working together as governors and that our people are well taken care of ahead of 2027 and in future," Ottichilo said.

He added: "We are in the broad based government, and we have agreed as ODM that we support our current party leader and what was agreed on by the party's top organ."

Bungoma Governor Lusaka, who is Ford-Kenya deputy party leader, said the political bargaining power of the region depends with the unity of Western people.

"As a region we should move together to have bargaining power and we have started, and we are going to remain together politically and economically," said Lusaka.

Lusaka, who is leading a movement dubbed Western Region Broadbased Movement to back Ruto’s 2027 re-election, said as governors, they are going to have grassroots meetings to convince locals to board the vehicle.

"We are the heads of Western region counties, and we interact with our people daily. We are going to talk to our people and convince them to make the right political decision by supporting Ruto in 2027 because we can already see his development pledges being realised," said Lusaka.