Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo /HANDOUT
Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo has welcomed President William Ruto to Siaya county, declaring Nyanza is ready to support his re-election bid.
Ruto is expected in Siaya on Monday as he begins a five-day development and political tour of Nyanza.
“We welcome the President to Nyanza because that is his home. Our late father, Raila Odinga, left us in his hands. That is why we are in broad-based government,” Odhiambo said.
In Gem, the MP disclosed the Kisumu City manager, who recently shelved his MP bid in favour of Odhiambo, will lead the President’s campaign.
“I want to call on all leaders and aspirants in Gem to put aside all our differences and unite behind the President the way Wanga has done,” he said.
The head of state is scheduled to inspect, launch and commission several government projects in the region.
The tour, which began on Sunday in Kisumu, is being closely watched as the President seeks to consolidate support in a region traditionally associated with the opposition while showcasing his administration’s development record.
Odhiambo said the President should be received warmly in Nyanza, describing the region as Ruto’s home.
The lawmaker linked the political cooperation between the region’s leaders and the Kenya Kwanza administration to the wishes of Raila.
The Gem legislator said the region had a responsibility to honour Raila’s political direction by working with the President and supporting development initiatives his administration is implementing.
He praised Ruto for what he described as several development projects initiated in Nyanza, saying the region had benefited from the President’s attention and would reciprocate through overwhelming electoral support.
Odhiambo said the President’s visit provided an opportunity for residents to assess the projects being undertaken by the government and engage him on issues affecting the region.
He further declared Ruto would be the preferred presidential candidate for Siaya and the wider Nyanza region in the next election, citing Raila’s reported position on the political partnership.
“Our candidate for president, as Siaya and Nyanza people, is President Ruto. Baba [Raila] told us to elect him. He has implemented several projects for us. That is why we are saying, Ruto Tutam,” the lawmaker said.
The President’s five-day tour is expected to combine the commissioning of development projects with political engagements as he seeks to strengthen his administration’s presence in the region ahead of the polls.
Ruto’s growing political engagement with Nyanza follows the formation of the broad-based government arrangement between the Kenya Kwanza administration and leaders associated with ODM.
The arrangement has reshaped political alliances in the region, with a section of leaders now openly backing the president's development agenda and possible re-election.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
Odhiambo’s remarks are likely to intensify debate in Siaya, a county that has for years been regarded as the political heartland of the Odinga family, over the extent to which the new political alliance could influence voting patterns in 2027. As Ruto arrives in Siaya, residents are expected to turn their attention to the projects lined up for commissioning, while political leaders use the visit to signal their preferred direction ahead of the next presidential contest.
