Sheep in hand: Wajackoyah pledges loyalty to Atwoli

Former presidential candidate George Wajackoyah visited COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli at his Ildamat home, where he pledged political loyalty to the Luhya community leadership.

Atwoli said the meeting was held in his capacity as a Luhya elder, noting that Wajackoyah,  who ran for the presidency in the 2022 General Election, assured him he would abide by any political direction issued for the Luhya nation.

“Today, George Wajackoyah visited me at my Ildamat home, in my capacity as a Luhya elder, to affirm his loyalty. He has given me a strong assurance that he will abide by any political direction that I shall provide for the Luhya nation,” Atwoli said.

The COTU boss added that Wajackoyah arrived bearing a sheep, describing it as a traditional symbol of acceptance and respect within Luhya culture.

“He also brought with him a sheep, which is a traditional symbol of acceptance,” Atwoli said.

In 2024, Wajackoyah, who is also the Roots Party leader, said he will challenge President William Ruto for the presidency in the 2027 General Election.

Wajackoyah, who finished fourth in the 2022 polls with 61,969 votes, said he’s bitter that Ruto left out presidential aspirants who challenged him in the polls when constituting the broad-based government.

Regarding his presidential ambition, Wajackoyah said he will still vie in 2027 on the manifesto of legalisation of bhang arguing that marijuana is a holy plant documented in the scriptures.

He said he will be banking on the support of the Church, claiming the burning bush through which God spoke to Moses was marijuana.

"Go to the book of Genessis 1:29, God Himself said this is my holy plant...God appeared in the form of fire and smoke. Have you ever asked yourselves what that smoke was?

"We need research to be done; that was hemp for purification purposes," Wajackoyah said.

The meeting comes amid ongoing political realignments as leaders position themselves ahead of  2027 elections.