Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi on Friday, May 22, declared that the Nyanza Region must produce the next president after William Ruto finishes his second term in 2022.
Speaking during the funeral of MP Jared Okello's mother, CS Mbadi explained that the Nyanza Region, like many others in Kenya, also had ambitions to lead the country.
He told the leaders from the Western Region present at the burial, including Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, that they should start preparing themselves for 2032.
"Nyanza and Western, we will sit down and organise ourselves as we progress to 2032. This region must also produce a president," Mbadi stated.
The CS expressed concern that in Kenya's 65 years of independence, only two communities had had a chance to rule the country: the Kikuyu and Kalenjin.
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He proposed that members of either of the two communities should not be allowed to run for the presidency beyond 2032, so that others could also have a chance at the top seat.
"We must tell them that in 2032, we don't want to see a Kikuyu, we don't want to see a Kalenjin. We have 42 communities in this county, and each of us has the capacity, competence, and the ability to lead this country," Mbadi added.
He clarified that in the meantime, the Luo and Western regions, which claim a lion's share of ODM's support base, fully supported Ruto's re-election in 2027.
On her part, Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga called for unity within the ODM party. She further demanded that Senator Oburu Oginga be respected as the Party Leader.
Wanga rallied Luo Nyanza to support Ruto in 2027 because he was the only leader who fulfilled his promise and demonstrated loyalty to the community.
She reminded that it was only during his reign that Luos were appointed to the positions of Treasury Cabinet Secretary and Attorney General.
The governor argued that Ruto also appointed more ODM members to his cabinet than the retired President Uhuru Kenyatta did after the handshake with the late Raila Odinga.
She acknowledged that Kenyans were feeling the pinch of high fuel costs but assured them ODM was working with the government under the Broad-based arrangement to make the situation better.
