Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi is set to take President William Ruto’s re-election campaign to Busia County, a day after Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and his Linda Mwananchi movement held a series of opposition rallies in the region.
Mudavadi will on Sunday lead a grassroots mobilisation meeting for United Democratic Alliance (UDA) members in Busia County as the ruling camp seeks to strengthen its support base in Western Kenya ahead of the 2027 General Election.
According to a media invitation from the Prime Cabinet Secretary’s Press Service, Mudavadi will address UDA members at Butula Grounds, next to the Post Office.
“The Prime Cabinet Secretary is expected to arrive at the event at 11 am,” the invitation said.
Mudavadi is expected to rally residents and UDA supporters behind Ruto’s re-election bid, with the visit coming only a day after Sifuna toured parts of Busia as part of the Linda Mwananchi movement’s grassroots mobilisation campaign.
Sifuna’s Friday tour took him through Bumala, Murumba, Butula and Nambale, where he interacted with residents and sought to strengthen the opposition movement’s presence in the county.
The tour brought together Sifuna, Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya and Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale as the leaders sought to build support for the movement and challenge the dominance of established political formations in the region.
Mudavadi’s visit to Butula is likely to highlight the growing political competition in Western Kenya, with the ruling coalition and opposition forces increasingly taking their campaigns to the grassroots.
Western Kenya has traditionally been an important support base for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), but Ruto’s administration has intensified efforts to establish a stronger political foothold in the region through the broad-based government arrangement.
Sifuna and his allies have meanwhile used Linda Mwananchi to campaign for what they describe as a people-centred political agenda while challenging attempts by established political parties and leaders to determine the region’s political direction.
The political contest will continue on Sunday, with Sifuna moving into neighbouring Kakamega County for another round of grassroots engagements as Mudavadi campaigns for Ruto in Busia.
Sifuna’s Kakamega programme began with a church service at the ACK Cathedral in Mumias Town from 8am to 9.30am.
The political engagements are scheduled to begin at 10am in Mumias West Constituency, with the team expected to interact with residents in Mumias Town.
At noon, the Linda Mwananchi caravan is scheduled to move to Navakholo Constituency for an engagement at Navakholo Market.
The leaders will then proceed to Malava Constituency at 2pm before heading to Lugari Constituency at 4pm. The tour is expected to culminate at Lumakanda.
The parallel political activities underscore the growing importance of Western Kenya as a battleground ahead of the 2027 elections.
Both sides are stepping up grassroots mobilisation, with senior political figures criss-crossing the region for rallies, church services and community engagements.
