Luhyas are ready to take over the leadership of the country and will field a presidential candidate in the 2027 elections, Vihiga Senator Geoffrey Osotsi has said.
Speaking during a funeral on Saturday, Osotsi said the community will not wait until President William Ruto ends his two terms in 2032 ands will instead seek to unseat him midway.
Osotsi is a key member of the Linda Mwananchi wing of the Orange Democratic Movement Party that has caused a stir in Western region.
He said the only difference between proponents of the movement and supporters of the status quo in Western is the timing for a Luhya presidency.
“Those supporting President William Ruto’s re-election want us to back him in 2027 and wait for 2032. But we’re saying that as a community, Luhyas are capable and ready to lead this country now,” Osotsi said.
He spoke during the burial of retired senior chief Arthur Mamvuya at Budaywa Primary School in Sabatia constituency.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi was present.
Osotsi said leadership should not be tied to age, noting that President William Ruto was only 45 when he became Deputy President in 2013.
He said leaders from Western Kenya who are opposed to Ruto’s re-election have coalesced under the Linda Wananchi movement, which he described as part of a broader political realignment.
The senator also alleged that he was attacked by armed goons in Kisumu last month due to his insistence that the time for a Luhya presidency has come.
He said he will not be intimidated and will continue touring Western Kenya to mobilise support ahead of the next election.
“We are not ready to wait any longer because when 2032 comes, the same people asking us to wait will tell us to wait for 2037,” he said.
Osotsi said the Linda Wananchi movement had no personal issue with President Ruto but was focused on political competition.
“Let him sell his UDA and let us sell ours. Our sole purpose is to ensure Ruto goes home,” he said, citing concerns over the economy, health and education sectors.
He urged leaders to embrace issue-based politics and warned against hostility during public gatherings, terming heckling at funerals as inappropriate and archaic.
Instant analysis
Osotsi’s remarks reflect an emerging political recalibration in Western Kenya ahead of 2027, where regional identity politics is increasingly intersecting with national succession debates. His push for an early Luhya presidential bid signals frustration with long-standing power-sharing expectations that defer ambitions to future cycles. By anchoring the Linda Wananchi movement within economic and governance grievances, he is attempting to broaden its appeal beyond ethnic mobilisation. However, the messaging also risks deepening political polarisation, especially as it directly challenges President William Ruto’s re-election plans. The success of this positioning will depend on whether Western Kenya leaders can unify behind a single viable candidate.
