Atwoli Dismisses Opposition overtures in Western Kenya as Gachagua Leads Tour » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 4 – Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has poured cold water on the opposition’s latest political charm offensive in Western Kenya, warning that without the blessing of the region’s senior-most leaders, their 2027 ambitions are doomed to fail.

Atwoli was responding to the ongoing “Mashemeji Twaja” tour led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and opposition allies, which kicked off this week with a flurry of rallies across key counties in the region.

“Someone tell Gachagua and Kalonzo: as long as our in-law Raila Odinga, Moses Wetang’ula, Musalia Mudavadi and myself are not with you, you cannot win Western Kenya,” Atwoli said.

“It is an exercise in futility. The Mulembe Nation has its owners.”

The remarks come as Gachagua, alongside Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Defence CS Eugene Wamalwa, ex-CS Fred Matiang’i, and other political figures, continue their campaign tour targeting Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, and Trans Nzoia counties that collectively hold over 2.2 million votes.

Gachagua’s re-emergence on the national stage comes amid growing political agitation led by the youth, especially Gen Z activists, who have been staging protests.

The “Mashemeji Twaja” tour is being framed by its organisers as an effort to forge new alliances and offer a national alternative ahead of 2027.

The leaders have been holding meetings in Kisumu, Luanda, Mumias, Malava, Mbale, and Kakamega town, where they have criticised government excesses and pledged a people-centred leadership.

Gachagua is using the platform to reinvent himself politically and build alliances beyond his Mt Kenya base.

Atwoli, a long-time political broker in Western Kenya, warned that such overtures would remain symbolic unless the region’s key power players are involved.

“The votes are here, but so is the leadership. You don’t just walk in and claim Mulembe loyalty without engaging those who’ve stood with the people for decades,” he said.