Kenya, 14 January 2026 – Four governors from Western Kenya have publicly endorsed the decision by ODM\u2019s Central Management Committee (CMC) to initiate formal negotiations with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), signaling a calculated push to position the region at the heart of Kenya\u2019s 2027 political chessboard.<\/p>\n
Speaking in Kakamega, the governors \u2014 Fernandes Barasa (Kakamega), Paul Otuoma (Busia), Wilbur Ottichilo (Vihiga), and Kenneth Lusaka (Bungoma) \u2014 described the move as both strategic and necessary for the region\u2019s political unity and development agenda.<\/p>\n
Governor Barasa, a key Western Kenya political figure, framed the negotiations as pragmatic politics rather than a departure from ODM\u2019s core ideology.<\/p>\n
\u201cPolitics is about outcomes for our people, not permanent hostility,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWestern Kenya must be at the table where decisions are made, not knocking from the outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barasa emphasised that formal engagement with UDA is essential for Western Kenya to strengthen its bargaining power, particularly in securing national projects, increased allocations, and improved delivery of critical services such as health, education, and infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Busia Governor Paul Otuoma echoed these sentiments, pointing out that cross-party cooperation within the framework of a broad-based government has already delivered measurable benefits to counties in the region. \u201cWhen leaders talk, wananchi benefit,\u201d Otuoma said.<\/p>\n
\u201cODM\u2019s engagement with UDA is about ensuring stability and resources for our counties as we approach 2027.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to him, a united regional approach is not just political maneuvering\u2014it is a practical strategy to safeguard economic interests and prevent Western Kenya from being sidelined in national decision-making.<\/p>\n
Vihiga Governor Wilbur Ottichilo went further, framing the ODM\u2013UDA negotiations as a defensive measure against political marginalisation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot afford to be spectators while others negotiate power and development,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ottichilo stressed that unity among Western leaders is essential to amplify the region\u2019s voice in national politics, arguing that strategic alliances\u2014while sometimes requiring compromise\u2014can yield tangible benefits for ordinary citizens. He called for a united Western front that would ensure the region\u2019s development priorities are represented, irrespective of shifting national alliances.<\/p>\n
Governor Lusaka on his part described the talks as a necessary evolution of Kenyan politics.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not about abandoning principles, but rather it is about advancing the interests of our people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Lusaka noted that ODM\u2019s willingness to engage UDA demonstrates a shift from protest politics to deal-making politics\u2014a transformation he argued is critical for regional leaders seeking meaningful influence in government.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing in a coalition does not dilute our voice. It enhances our ability to negotiate for what Western Kenya deserves,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kenya, 14 January 2026 – Four governors from Western Kenya have publicly endorsed the decision by ODM\u2019s Central…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24264,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[63,1100,1104,854,1102,1107,1109,1106,1098,1096,1101,1103,1108,1105,1094,302,83,1099,1028,1095,321,262,1097,80,96,261],"class_list":{"0":"post-24263","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-kenya","8":"tag-africa","9":"tag-african-business","10":"tag-african-culture","11":"tag-african-development","12":"tag-african-economy","13":"tag-african-education","14":"tag-african-entertainment","15":"tag-african-healthcare","16":"tag-african-media","17":"tag-african-news","18":"tag-african-politics","19":"tag-african-society","20":"tag-african-sports","21":"tag-african-technology","22":"tag-analysis","23":"tag-breaking-news","24":"tag-business","25":"tag-continental-news","26":"tag-current-affairs","27":"tag-dawan-africa","28":"tag-east-africa","29":"tag-economy","30":"tag-horn-of-africa","31":"tag-kenya","32":"tag-news","33":"tag-politics"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24263"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24263\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}