President William Ruto appears to be banking on the support of Raila Odinga’s strongholds to secure his re-election, as his support in the Mt Kenya region seems to be on a downward spiral.
Ruto will arrive in Migori County on Sunday, May 4, 2025, for a two-day development tour that observers say is as much about infrastructure as it is about political realignment.
The visit marks Ruto’s fourth trip to the Luo Nyanza region since 2022, but unlike previous tours, this latest one comes under the banner of newfound cooperation between the President and longtime opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Ahead of the visit, Ruto convened a strategic meeting at State House, Nairobi on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, with local political leaders to finalise logistics and project unveiling.
The tour follows the March 7, 2025, signing of a formal cooperation agreement between Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Raila’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), a pact that has significantly altered the political dynamics in a region long regarded as the bedrock of opposition politics.
Once considered hostile territory, Migori – and by extension the greater Nyanza region – is now being framed by the ruling coalition as a development partner.
The cooperation between Ruto and Raila, which began with Raila’s candidacy for the African Union Commission chairmanship, has since blossomed into a political alliance that could shape the 2027 presidential race.
During the two-day visit, President Ruto is expected to commission a number of high-impact projects including the Stella–Gogo–Sibuoche tarmac road and a 200-unit affordable housing scheme in Uriri Constituency.
Ruto will begin his tour of Migori county by attending an interdenominational church service at Kadika Primary School on Sunday.
His itinerary will take him through Suna East, Suna West, Rongo, Uriri, and Awendo constituencies.
Among the leaders preparing to host the president is National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed – one of Raila’s closest allies – and Uriri MP Mark Nyamita, who has openly embraced Ruto’s leadership and development agenda.
While addressing President Ruto’s visit during a press briefing on May 2, Uriri MP Mark Nyamita stated that the Luo Nyanza region would continue to support Ruto through the 2027 General Election and beyond.
“For me, for the people of Migori and for the larger people of Nyanza as far as I know we are with President Ruto now, in the next election until after that. Why, because for the first time we have a president, you can imagine less than three years he has come to Migori four times,” Nyamita said.
The lawmaker drew sharp comparisons with past administrations, pointing out that Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Mwai Kibaki made only one brief visit each to Migori during their combined two decades in office.
“Uhuru Kenyatta in 10 years only came to Migori only once for two hours. Mwai Kibaki was in office for 10 years – only came once, planted a tree in Sony and went back. For 20 years we had two visits of presidents, they don’t know the length and breadth of the county, they don’t know our problems. But this is going to be the fourth or fifth time for President Ruto coming to Nyanza. Every other time he has come, something small has been left,” Nyamta said.
The Uriri MP praised development projects launched by Ruto in Nyanza, noting that the president’s itinerary also includes discussions on extending the Migori airstrip runway.
“Nowadays, I can fly to Migori three times. Part of this visit is to address the extension of that runway so that we can have daily flights to Migori,” Nyamita noted.
The timing of Ruto’s Nyanza tour coincides with rising political temperatures nationally, as former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i gains momentum in the Gusii region amid mounting speculation over a presidential bid.
Matiang’i’s May 2 rallies in Kisii and Nyamira drew massive crowds, further intensifying political recalibrations ahead of the next general election.
For Ruto, the deepening alliance with Raila’s ODM is both a strategic buffer against emerging opposition coalitions and a deliberate effort to court historically marginalised regions with promises of development equity.
Whether the political goodwill in Nyanza will translate into electoral dividends in 2027 remains to be seen, but what’s clear is that President Ruto is determined to leave a physical and political footprint in Raila Odinga’s own backyard.
Martin Oduor
The alchemist of literary works – a master wordsmith with a proven record of transforming the raw materials of language into a rich tapestry of emotion, thought, and imagination.
View all posts by Martin Oduor