Mudavadi urges Malava to elect a president-trusted leader in a blunt message that has stirred fresh debate on loyalty versus local mandate, as Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi told thousands of residents Sunday that they must choose a parliamentary candidate who enjoys President William Ruto’s full confidence rather than one popular only with voters.
Speaking at a fundraiser in Chevaywa ward, the ANC party boss and Kenya Kwanza co-principal insisted the next Malava MP must be “someone the President can pick up the phone and call at midnight without hesitation,” framing it as essential for delivering development in the sprawling Kakamega constituency.
Mudavadi, on a two-day Western tour to shore up support for UDA MP candidate David Ndakwa, did not mince words. “Elect a leader who can be trusted by the President and not only voters,” he declared from a dais draped in Kenya Kwanza colours, drawing a mix of cheers and murmurs from the crowd of farmers and boda-boda operators.
“If your MP is always fighting State House, how will he bring roads, electricity, and water projects? Choose someone who opens doors in Nairobi, not one who bangs on them.”
The remark, captured in a 45-second clip, instantly polarised opinion. Supporters hailed it as pragmatic realpolitik in a region long starved of mega-projects, while critics branded it an admission that devolution remains hostage to State House patronage.
“He just told us democracy is dead,” fumed local activist Brenda Shisia, 31, who posted a viral thread. “We vote, but the President must like our choice? This is monarchy disguised as advice.”
The UDA flagbearer and Mudavadi’s preferred candidate leaned into the narrative. “I know how to pick up that phone and get things done,” he told the crowd, citing his past role securing CDF funds for schools and health centres.
Critics thundered, “Malava will elect who serves Malava, not who serves State House tea at midnight.” The constituency, a traditional ANC stronghold that flipped to ODM, has become a microcosm of Western Kenya’s shifting loyalties ahead of 2027.
On the ground, residents are torn. At Chevaywa market Monday morning, boda-boda rider Vincent Barasa, 34, admitted the logic stung but resonated. “We have an MP now who shouts a lot but brings little. Maybe Mudavadi is right – we need someone the President listens to.”
Across the road, teacher Everlyne Khayesi, 42, shook her head. “We are not children picking a favourite uncle. We want an MP who fights for us, not one who bows in Nairobi.”
With polling day just days away, Mudavadi’s words have reframed the Malava race from local service delivery to a loyalty test. As the sun set over Malava’s rolling maize fields, one thing was clear: Mudavadi’s urging Malava to elect a president-trusted leader has turned a sleepy constituency contest into a national conversation about power, patronage, and who truly owns the vote in Kenya’s evolving democracy.