Bob Waswani
KAKAMEGA, July 10, 2025 — In a roadside café in Nairobi, Senator Boni Khalwale and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya shared “dawa” tea on July 9, 2025, sparking a political alliance that could reshape Kenya’s 2027 elections. Their Wednesday meeting, captured in a widely shared photo, signals a unified Abaluhyia front to secure a seat at the national power table, challenging the influence of leaders like Moses Wetangula and Musalia Mudavadi, whom they accuse of sidelining Luhya interests.
The duo’s agenda centers on a one-term presidency and economic justice, with the controversial Nzoia Sugar Company lease to Jaswant Rai’s West Kenya Sugar Company as a rallying cry. Natembeya, fresh from a Spice FM interview decrying Wetangula and Mudavadi’s leadership, labeled the lease a “betrayal” of 45,000 sugarcane farmers . Khalwale, a vocal critic of unfulfilled pledges like tarmacking 1,000 km of Kakamega roads, has repeatedly echoed this, warning of “unscrupulous privatization” threatening Western Kenya’s economy.
Social media buzzed with support. Dean Frank posted, “Mbele iko sawa,” while Irine Biwott urged, “Give Natembeya the presidency” . Yet, critics like Mumias East MP Peter Salasya accused Natembeya of tribal politicking, urging focus on Trans Nzoia’s development. Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa also warned Natembeya against meddling in local politics.
The alliance faces hurdles. Natembeya’s May 2025 arrest for alleged Ksh 1.4 million embezzlement, now halted by a High Court order, fuels claims of political targeting. Their Nzoia protests, met with tear gas, captured tensions with the state.