Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament (Mp) Peter Kaluma has ignited a heated political debate after making a bold claim that President William Ruto’s re-election bid will be successful despite his growing unpopularlity in parts of the country.
The Vocal legislator, told off critics, stating that President Ruto, does not require the backing of vote-rich Mt Kenya, Kisii and Ukambani regions to secure a second term.
According to Kaluma, Ruto’s broad-based government agreement with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, was a genius political chess-move to secure re-election.
The Homa Bay Mp, claims that with the backing of Luo voters, Kalenjins, Maasai, Somalis and the Coastal region, the president is set for a landslide win come 2027.
“We have 4 million registered Luo voters in Kenya. We add 3 million Kalenjin voters, 2 million Maasai, 3million Somalis, and 2 milllion from the Coast. We’ll leave Mt. Kenya, Kisii and Ukambani for Gachagua, Kalonzo and Matiang’i." said Kaluma.
The legislator, also alleged that while the Mt Kenya region votes are not necessary for President William Ruto's re-election win, buying' the support of Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Former Interior Cs Fred Matiang’i- both who have declared interest in the top seat- was in the cards.
He added, "But remember at the right time we will buy Matiang’i and Kalonzo’s support. Can they really reject Ksh 1B each?”
According to Kaluma, the broad-based government will propel Ruto to a second term without the head of state breaking a sweat.
The broad-based government refers to the political agreement signed between Ruto and Odinga on March 7, 2025, at the Kenya International Convention Centre. The agreement includes collaboration between their parties and aims to address at least ten key issues affecting the country.
Kaluma's remarks come days after a new survey by TIFA showed that most Kenyans are opposed to the broad-based government, with only a small portion backing the political arrangement.
According to the poll, 54 per cent of Kenyans do not support the broad-based government. Only 22 per cent expressed support, while another 22 per cent declined to give their opinion. It is not clear whether those who chose not to respond were undecided or uncomfortable sharing their view.
The survey was conducted between May 2 and May 6, 2025, through telephone interviews with 2,024 respondents from nine regions. These include Central Rift, Coast, Lower Eastern, Mt Kenya, Nairobi, Northern, Nyanza, South Rift and Western. The respondents had previously participated in face-to-face household-based interviews. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.17 per cent.
The regional breakdown of the poll reveals varied levels of support. The Coast recorded 57 per cent opposition, 22 per cent support, and 25 per cent non-response. In Western, 50 per cent opposed the BBG, 21 per cent supported it, and 29 per cent did not respond.
In Nyanza, Raila’s home region, 49 per cent said they oppose the arrangement, 25 per cent support it, while 26 per cent declined to answer. According to TIFA, “Evidently a reflection of former Prime Minister Odinga’s now-cordial relations with the Kenya Kwanza government and the presence of several senior ODM figures within it,” Nyanza gave the BBG its third-highest level of regional backing.
The highest support for the BBG came from Central Rift, President Ruto’s political base, where 37 per cent supported the alliance. Mt Kenya and Lower Eastern regions, associated with Rigathi Gachagua and Kalonzo Musyoka, recorded the lowest support at 13 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively.
Meanwhile, President William Ruto, following the formation of the BBG, stated that the broad-based administration will unlock the country's full potential, remarking that Kenya’s growth has often been hindered by political rivalry.
"The formation of this broad-based government that brings together former political rivals into one selfless patriotic team, we will unlock the potential of our country that has long been denied us by factional and sectarian competition," he said.
"While competition is good, there is a moment when the nation's interest is greater than the interest of a political formation. It is the reason I have reached out across the aisle to bring onboard the knowledge, expertise, and experience of deserving Kenyans, though belonging to a different political formation," Ruto added.
The Head of State emphasised that there comes a time when the interests of the country are greater than those of a political party, hence the reason why he reached out to leaders from the opposition party to join his administration.
