Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma speaks during a funeral in Chiga village in the constituency/Robert Omollo
Many members of the Luo community will support the re-election of President William Ruto, Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has said.
Kaluma argued that they had made the decision following development projects that the Kenya Kwanza administration has initiated and completed in the four counties occupied by members of the community.
The counties are Homa Bay, Kisumu, Siaya and Migori.
He said it is during President Ruto’s regime that the counties have witnessed the most infrastructural development and community members have secured government employment without open discrimination.
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma speaks during a funeral in Chiga village in the constituency/Robert Omollo
President Ruto has appointed some members of the community to dockets many Kenyans consider sensitive, including the National Treasury and Attorney General positions.
No Luo member had ever been appointed to the positions since independence. They are currently held by John Mbadi and Dorcas Oduor, respectively.
The MP said the Luo Nyanza region had witnessed such discrimination even in infrastructural development.
Some of the roads under construction include the Lake Victoria Ring Road, which starts from Busia and extends to Migori County.
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma speaks during a funeral in Chiga village in the constituency/Robert Omollo
In Homa Bay, the Rusinga Island Ring Road is complete, while the Gor Mahia and Ojijo Ring Roads are ongoing. More than five modern markets for traders have also been constructed.
“President Ruto has stood with members of the Luo community in development projects and included them in government. We as well made a firm decision that we'll support his re-election in 2027,” Kaluma said.
Speaking during a burial at Chiga village in Homa East Ward, his constituency, Kaluma dismissed remarks by former President Uhuru Kenyatta that Raila Odinga won the 2022 presidential election against Ruto.
Last week, Uhuru said Raila, who was the Azimio La Umoja presidential candidate, defeated Ruto despite the electoral agency, IEBC, declaring the latter the winner.
Raila disputed the results and went to the Supreme Court, but the results were later upheld.
Kaluma told Kenyatta to stop hoodwinking members of the Luo community that he genuinely wanted to become president.
He claimed that the former president wants to play a game with the community’s votes so that they do not remain in government after the 2027 General Election.
Kaluma instead accused Uhuru of what he termed as presiding over Raila's loss in the 2022 presidential election.
“I tell ex-President Uhuru Kenyatta to stop wasting his time by reminding us about what happened in the past. We'll not fall for your tricks again and abandon the broad-based government,” he said.
Kaluma, who is the current Homa Bay County ODM chairman, said President Ruto had on some occasions stood with them, including Raila, who hailed from the community.
He said Ruto genuinely supported Raila in the 2007 presidential election. He said Ruto wholeheartedly supported Raila to become the African Union Commission chairman in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“It is difficult to trust Uhuru Kenyatta again because what he knows best is to manage us. We believe that Ruto will get more than 60 percent of total votes to serve his second term,” Kaluma added.
The legislator also urged eligible residents to register as voters ahead of the 2027 General Election.
They project to register more than 4 million people from the four counties.
