By BOB AMALEMBA
June 15, 2026| The political temperature in Western Kenya is rising after Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya declared that Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa will never succeed Kenneth Lusaka as Bungoma governor.
The clash unfolded as the United Opposition, led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s DCP party, swept through Western Kenya this week, drawing record crowds in Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, and Trans Nzoia. However, the tour was not without incident.
Chaos in Harambee
Amid an otherwise successful tour, a minor incident was reported at Harambee Shopping Centre in Kakamega County, home village of Governor Fernandes Barasa. Alleged organised goons briefly blocked the opposition convoy, sparking a confrontation that saw a school bus vandalised and several innocent pupils injured.
Despite the disruption, the opposition proceeded with their rally and accused Governor Barasa of resorting to intimidation and cowardice instead of engaging politically.
Didmus Barasa Draws Natembeya’s Wrath
But it is Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa—distinct from the governor—who has become the target of Natembeya’s political wrath. The MP held a rival rally just kilometres away from the opposition’s Bungoma meeting in Kanduyi constituency.
At his rally, Didmus Barasa distributed handouts to locals—a tactic critics say exploits the economic hardships caused by the current regime. With high fuel prices, soaring production costs, escalating food prices, and a near-collapsed economy, residents gathered at Barasa’s event where they were given cash after attendance, as has become his custom.
The MP has been rallying the masses to defend President William Ruto, even as opinion polls show the President’s popularity has plummeted considerably amidst the economic crisis that has dashed the “bottom-up” economic revival promises.
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa at Nyange Market, near the opposition rally, joked it takes ten rivals to match his solo crowd.
📊 POLL DATA: President Ruto’s Declining Support
Several recent surveys confirm the President’s struggles:
· Trust in President Ruto: A TIFA survey conducted in May 2026 found that 45% of Kenyans distrust President William Ruto, compared to only 11% who have full faith in his leadership
· Broad-Based Government Rejection: Support for Ruto’s cooperation with ODM has dropped from 44% in November 2025 to just 30% in May 2026, while opposition has surged to 56%
· Western Kenya Turnaround: In Western Kenya, support for the broad-based government collapsed from 62% in November 2025 to 29% in May 2026—a dramatic 33-point drop
· Party Support Decline: UDA’s national support has fallen from 38% during the 2022 election period to just 17% currently, while ODM has dropped from 32% to 18%
The situation is complicated by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s rising profile. Sifuna, who hails from Bungoma, is increasingly seen as a potential presidential or deputy presidential candidate. The TIFA survey shows Sifuna already has 10% national support in the fragmented 2027 race, and among ODM supporters opposed to the broad-based government, support for Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi faction rises to 90%. This poses a direct threat to Barasa’s gubernatorial ambitions, as a Sifuna presidency—or even deputy presidency—would fundamentally alter the political math in Western Kenya, especially Bungoma County.
The Helicopter Incident
Earlier, at a meeting in Kiminini, Didmus Barasa flew his helicopter over the crowd, creating noise pollution in an apparent attempt to disrupt the gathering.
Natembeya dismissed the act as childish and vowed retaliation.
“Kulukulu ni mtu kidogo! Bungoma ataonea viusasa!” Natembeya declared. Which can be looseley traslated to: “Didmus is a petty guy—He’ll never be Bungoma Governor!”
“Kulukulu” is the tag Natembeya has given Barasa, suggesting he talks excessively like a village woman—an attribute considered unmanly in Bukusu tradition.
Barasa Fires Back
Never one to back down from a verbal fight, Didmus Barasa responded in characteristic fashion, asserting his political seniority.
“George Natembeya, I was elected to Parliament in 2017. I have been holding meetings across Bungoma alone since 2022.”
“I am not like you cowards who only wait for watermelons and Wamashati to leave your county for a political outreach program. Blame the people for your poorly attended meeting—they chose where to go.”
“What makes you think I was commanded by someone to do this, or that I was given money before I hold a meeting? I am coming to Trans Nzoia. I am the real Commando. You are the fake one.”
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya rallies Kiminini crowd, urging folded hands and “Tawe!” chant against bad governance—his movement’s rising battle cry.
Natembeya: The Man Without a Godfather
Natembeya has largely been his own man in Kenyan politics, owing allegiance to no political godfather. When what he terms “fake charges” were advanced against him, his charisma helped the masses rally behind him and turn away police officers who had surrounded his home—an act reminiscent of the late Raila Odinga, for whom the masses were willing to die.
The governor also bailed out nad hired lawyers for youth who were arrested while protecting him, a gesture many politicians avoid.
A Pattern of Confrontation
This is not the first MP Barasa has taken on. Initially, at the behest of his political godfather President William Ruto, he took on National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, demanding that Wetang’ula dissolve his Ford Kenya party. That attempt failed—or remains in the pipeline.
What’s Next: Didmus Joins the Attacks on Natembeya
After last year’s Malava by-election, where Natembeya led a sustained campaign for Seth Panyako against a government that reportedly spent about Ksh 450 million to controversially win a seat many believe was rigged to save the government’s face, Musalia Mudavadi vowed to plant candidates against Natembeya in Trans Nzoia. The strategy was to confine the governor to his county and prevent him from roaming freely across Western Kenya. That plan appears to have failed.
Now, Didmus Barasa—who is way junior than Musalia Mudavadi in the political hierarchy—believes he can contain Natembeya where his seniors could not.
Adding to the pressure on Natembeya, Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula had also vowed to reclaim Trans Nzoia from the Natembeya wave. But it appears Natembeya is not only sweeping Trans Nzoia but also making inroads into Bungoma—Wetang’ula’s own home county.
With his hands already full from his previous confrontation with Wetang’ula, Barasa is now daring to go to Trans Nzoia. He will be adding to the list of attacks already trained on Natembeya by the political establishment. Whether a mere MP can succeed where a Prime Cabinet Secretary and a National Assembly Speaker have so far failed remains to be seen.
One thing is clear: as President Ruto’s popularity continues to slide—with 45% of Kenyans now distrusting him and support for his broad-based government collapsing even in his own Central Rift backyard from 60% to 32%—the battle for Western Kenya is only beginning. And George Natembeya has drawn first blood.