Lusaka and Waluke clash over Western Kenya Ruto 2027 campaign caucus leadership
By Mabonga Makhanu, February 17, 2026Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka has clashed with Sirisia Member of Parliament John Waluke over his recent appointment as the Western Kenya coordinator for President William Ruto’s 2027 re-election caucus.
While speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, the second-term governor slammed the Sirisia lawmaker, who recently came out claiming that Lusaka appointed himself to the role and wants to interfere with his Western Kenya Parliamentary Caucus that was already in place and doing the same work he is currently championing.
Lusaka has responded furiously, denying that he appointed himself. He stated that he received a call from the president delegating him to establish a caucus whose sole mandate is to set up campaign machinery that will woo the region to rally behind the president’s re-election in 2027.
He added that he is not insane to appoint himself to such a role, noting that the activities of the caucus, which have recently seen members move from one county to another, urging Mulembe locals to rally behind President Ruto, are being funded by the president himself and not from his own pockets.
“I have seen Waluke saying that we self-appointed ourselves. I am not insane to wake up one day and announce myself as the coordinator for Ruto’s re-election. It is Ruto who called me and told me that he wants to talk to me. So where am I getting the money to carry out the activities of the caucus?” Lusaka posed.
Waluke opposing Lusaka
Waluke had recently come out, disbanding the Lusaka-led Western Region Ruto 2027 re-election caucus, despite him earlier congratulating him for being appointed to the role, saying it was meant to undermine the parliamentary caucus, which he chairs, and that it seeks to swallow it.
He added that if Lusaka wants to campaign for Ruto, he should form a caucus made up of only the four Mulembe region governors and not include Members of Parliament.
“Lusaka should stop meddling in things he does not understand. Let him form a governors’ caucus. There are four governors; let them sit down and form their own caucus. He should not interfere with ours,” Waluke said.
The outspoken lawmaker further added that Ruto’s 2027 re-election will be spearheaded by Members of Parliament from the region.
He said there will be a meeting to streamline their mandate and that they will move from constituency to constituency, wooing voters, with MPs serving as coordinators of the caucus at the constituency level.
“This re-election of President Ruto will be handled by the Western Kenya Parliamentary Caucus. The coordinators will be the MPs themselves. We want to call a meeting to ensure that each MP is the coordinator in his or her constituency,” Waluke added.
The caucus formation
This comes days after Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula, who doubles as the deputy in the Lusaka-led caucus, stated that the Western Region campaign caucus was his idea. He said he was the one who proposed to the president that the suitable person to chair the caucus was the Bungoma governor, who is serving his final term compared to other governors.
Savula further stated that this was part of the plan after he ditched the Democratic Action Party – Kenya (DAP-K) and joined the United Democratic Alliance (UDA). He decided to establish a campaign machinery that would champion Ruto’s re-election in 2027.
He stated that he made a call to the president and sold him the idea, which the president agreed to, after which he appointed Lusaka as the team leader, with Savula deputising him.
Western Region Ruto 2027 campaign caucus
The Western Region Ruto 2027 campaign caucus is made up of all the governors from the Mulembe region, Kiminini MP Kakayi Bisau, Vihiga Woman Representative Beatrice Adagala, Bungoma Woman Representative Catherine Wambilianga, Trans Nzoia Woman Representative Lilian Siyoi Walubengo, Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo, and several other parliamentarians.