Rural Urban Private Hospitals Authority (RUPHA) boss Brian Lishenga has announced another bid for the Kakamega senatorial seat after losing in 2022 to Boni Khalwale.

While speaking in Malava Constituency on Sunday, December 14, 2025, during a church service, he pleaded with the congregants to help realise his 2027 political ambitions.

“Nimekuja hapa kwa sababu ya kuombewa na kushiriki pamoja na nyinyi na kuwambia bado niko kwa safari ya kutaka kuwa senator wa hapa Kakamega,” he said.

He insisted that, just as in 2022, when he ran under what he termed the HOPE agenda, which he used as his manifesto and core pillars he would uphold after the elections, he will still apply it in 2027 and stick to his HOPE manifesto.

According to the RUPHA boss, who has been giving the state sleepless nights on matters of the Social Health Authority (SHA), the acronym HOPE stands for Health care (H), Oversight (O), People or Prosperity (P), and Education (E).

On healthcare matters, which he has been vocal about, he said that, should he be given a chance, he would ensure that SHA works efficiently.

He pledged to champion the empowerment of Level 1 and Level 2 hospitals and make sure that those empanelled under SHA receive treatment without paying when visiting such facilities.

Brian Lishenga continued to state that he is still in the race and will not give up after coming second with 195,192 votes, vying under the ODM party, while Boni Khalwale emerged victorious with a whopping 249,004 votes. He said he will continue his quest until he wins.

“Mimi nilipata kura 195,000, lakini atafutaye hachoki; akichoka amepata mimi. Naomba mnishike mkono katika azma yangu ya usenator,” he said.

This comes after he wholeheartedly supported Democratic Action Party (DAP-K) candidate Seth Panyako, who unsuccessfully contested for the Malava parliamentary seat in the recently concluded by-elections.

He joined Panyako in the last months of the campaigns, alongside other United Opposition leaders and Kakamega politicians.

Khalwale’s gubernatorial bid

This also comes at a time when Boni Khalwale has declared his bid for the gubernatorial seat in 2027, exuding confidence in himself as the capable person to unseat incumbent Fernandes Barasa.

While campaigning for Seth Panyako, Khalwale stated that, just as they had joined hands with Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) deputy party leader Cleophas Malala, who also has an interest in the same seat and unsuccessfully contested in 2022, they would team up so that one of them goes for the senate seat and the other vies for the gubernatorial seat.

This is to avoid splitting votes and ensure the United Opposition wins the seat.