Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya and DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua…Photo /courtesy
By IP Reporter
TRANS NZOIA, Kenya
Governor George Natembeya has upgraded his political ambition from county management to national conquest, boldly announcing that he is going for nothing short of the presidency and he claims he already has the ammunition for it.
Armed with what he repeatedly described as an “8 million–vote war chest” from the Luhya community, Natembeya said he is the “ideal united opposition candidate” and the only man capable of turning the 2027 race into a mathematical walkover.
The governor compared his alleged support base to other political heavyweights, saying former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua commands 6.5 million supporters from the Mt. Kenya region, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has 2 million from the Kamba community and former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i trails with about 1 million.
“With my 8 million–vote war chest, who should I fear? Even calculators malfunction when my name appears,” Natembeya said to cheering supporters.
“This election is already a group project — I’m just here to submit it.”
Natembeya also declared that he has “taken over Raila Odinga’s political constituency in Western Kenya,” brushing aside any suggestion that the region still belongs to the veteran opposition chief.
He saved some of his sharpest jabs for Western Kenya’s top national leaders — National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi — accusing them of spending decades in government without improving the region’s fortunes.
“These gentlemen have been in government long enough to be landmarks,” Natembeya said.
“But our economy is still allergic to growth, our youths are still exporting CVs, and our factories are still historical sites. What exactly have they been doing?”
The Trans Nzoia governor is expected to lead opposition offensives in the Malava by-election later this week, a political move he describes as “the first battlefield in the liberation war.”
Natembeya says his mission is simple: unite the opposition, flip Western Kenya into a solid voting bloc and “retire political tourists” ahead of the 2027 race.
Whether his 8 million–vote war chest exists in the voter register or mainly in his political imagination, Natembeya has made one thing clear — the road to the presidency is officially open and he’s already speeding on it without checking the mirrors.
