President William Ruto on Wednesday held a consultative meeting with political leaders from Western Kenya as part of his efforts to consolidate support in the region following his deal with Raila Odinga.
Raila, the former Prime Minister and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, has historically enjoyed strong backing from the region, having garnered significant support in his presidential bids in 2007, 2013, 2017, and 2022.
Ruto is widely seen as keen to inherit Raila’s support base as he prepares for his 2027 reelection campaign, particularly after signing a cooperation agreement with Raila.
The meeting comes months after Ruto’s extensive development tour of the region, during which he launched and commissioned several projects, including the disbursement of Sh150 million in dividends to Mumias Sugar farmers.
Wednesday’s meeting was attended by all governors from Western Kenya, including Fernandes Barasa (Kakamega), Paul Otuoma (Busia), Wilber Ottichilo (Vihiga), and Ken Lusaka (Bungoma).
Also present were top government officials, led by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula.
"We are engaging leaders from across the country to accelerate the implementation of our national development agenda, ensuring no region is left behind," President Ruto said in a post on X.
He stated that the discussions focused on assessing the progress of key priority projects under the national government.
These include strengthening agricultural value chains, increasing fertilizer uptake to boost food production, and reviving the sugar and coffee industries in the region.
"We also discussed urgent infrastructure needs, including roads, power connections, and ongoing fresh produce markets. Other areas of focus were universal health coverage and projects to improve access to clean water," Ruto added.
The meeting was also attended by Cabinet Secretaries Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives) and Deborah Barasa (Health).
This gathering is one of many that President Ruto has been holding with political leaders across the country to assess the progress of development projects.
On March 23, he also met senior government officials from the Mount Kenya region as part of his broader efforts to consolidate national support following his political agreement with Raila.
Ruto is expected to begin his much-anticipated tour of the Mount Kenya region on April 1, marking his first visit there since August last year.
