A vocal Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Member of Parliament has echoed sentiments by Cooperatives and SMEs Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya, admitting that selling President William Ruto in Western Kenya is becoming increasingly difficult.
Last week, Oparanya stated that selling Ruto in Western Kenya is an uphill task, pointing out that the president has no tangible development record to show in the region.
His sentiments have since been echoed by Lurambi MP Titus Khamala of ODM, who said voters in the region are growing increasingly hostile to pro-government narratives.
Khamala, who had earlier announced his intention to defect from ODM to the ruling UDA party, said the people of Western Kenya have not seen any meaningful development projects that could convince them to back Ruto’s reelection bid.
“When you look at the projects in this region, contractors have disappeared, yet those are supposed to be the deliverables. If we tell people two terms, we must show them projects, but the contractors have disappeared from the site. So it becomes very difficult on our part, and I agree with Senior Oparanya,” Khamala said.
The ODM lawmaker further blamed political brokers for President Ruto’s dwindling popularity in the region, warning that if the campaign approach does not change, rallying the Mulembe nation behind the head of state ahead of 2027 would be nearly impossible.
“We must reflect on our politics because people have been using us. When they go to negotiate with the president, they assure him that they are in charge of Western and that they would manage us. We are tired of being managed,” the legislator lamented.
