Voters should punish politicians who disappear after winning polls

With 2027 designated a turning point in Kenya's history, politicians across the board are expected to take viable political stands and mark their territories well in advance.Ideally, that's the right thing to do, especially for coat-tail riders in the Orange Democratic Movement who have perennially ridden on the crest of Raila Odinga's wave to high office, then turned around to thump their noses at the hoi polloi.As the shifts start to manifest, the expectation of many is that 2026 will be quite hectic, full of defections and new alliances in the pursuit of advantage. Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula kicked off the expected frenzy by ditching the Democratic Action Party (DAP) for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) last week, a move that was not entirely out of the blue.In the period preceding the November 27, 2025 Malava Constituency by-election, Savula openly campaigned for UDA candidate David Ndakwa against his party's candidate Seth Panyako. This stood out clearly, as did the presence of Farouk Kibet, President William Ruto's right hand man, during the tough campaigns that he single-handedly saw through to a successful conclusion.Follow The Standard
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on WhatsAppAlmost two months later, Farouk has developed an affinity for Malava and appears to have become a permanent feature in the constituency. He is still physically on the ground, not campaigning this time, but meeting with the people and delivering on the promises he made during the campaigns, acts that could buttress UDAs standing in the area.All this while, Farouk and Ndakwa have been issuing bursaries and honouring other pledges they made to the youth, widows and women groups in Malava.Maintaining this presence will give the people of Malava reason to celebrate and not regret ever having trusted Farouk and Ndakwa. Moreover, this modus operandi serves as a reminder to all leaders that they owe those who elected them to office their loyalty and undivided attention.This is important because the physical presence of politicians on the ground within their jurisdictions once they win elections is a rare occurrence.The routine is that immediately they get their certificates from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, they become scarce, hire bodyguards to keep the riff raff at bay and hide behind the tinted windows of their high end vehicles, which they compulsively acquire to match their newly assumed demigod statuses.The tragedy is that voters seem not to realise they have the power to take their leaders to task over their absence and lacklustre performances. In 2027, voters should kick out all absentee leaders.As this penultimate year progresses, we are entering that season that the 'waheshimiwa' who did a disappearing act circa September 2022, develop the itch to reappear, all innocent and rearing to unleash yet another set of lies that will earn them the trust of hapless voters whose subservience is guaranteed by the poverty that defines their troubled existences.In western, there is no shortage of leaders adept at the disappearing act. And whenever they choose to reappear, they have a ready smokescreen called Luhya unity to hide behind.Little wonder then that after being accused of neglecting their people and 'eating alone', the burial of former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo on December 30, 2025 gave the absentees the perfect opportunity to revive Luhya unity calls.What they are not telling the world is what exactly they want the Luhya rank-and-file to unite against. It is not contestable that ordinary Luhya people have never been divided. They are not at war and respect each other's cultures even when they marginally differ in some aspects.They are industrious people who love peace and mind their business, which is why they are called the people of 'mulembe' (peace). It is their querulous leadership that has a problem, and must fix it without always dragging the masses into it.Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPThe top Luhya leadership has never failed to regale its people with the tale that after Ruto in 2032, one of them will wear the crown. Farouk has a word of advice for them: ‘Merge your egos or bury the ambition’.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Ideally, that's the right thing to do, especially for coat-tail riders in the Orange Democratic Movement who have perennially ridden on the crest of Raila Odinga's wave to high office, then turned around to thump their noses at the hoi polloi.As the shifts start to manifest, the expectation of many is that 2026 will be quite hectic, full of defections and new alliances in the pursuit of advantage. Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula kicked off the expected frenzy by ditching the Democratic Action Party (DAP) for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) last week, a move that was not entirely out of the blue.In the period preceding the November 27, 2025 Malava Constituency by-election, Savula openly campaigned for UDA candidate David Ndakwa against his party's candidate Seth Panyako. This stood out clearly, as did the presence of Farouk Kibet, President William Ruto's right hand man, during the tough campaigns that he single-handedly saw through to a successful conclusion.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsAppAlmost two months later, Farouk has developed an affinity for Malava and appears to have become a permanent feature in the constituency. He is still physically on the ground, not campaigning this time, but meeting with the people and delivering on the promises he made during the campaigns, acts that could buttress UDAs standing in the area.All this while, Farouk and Ndakwa have been issuing bursaries and honouring other pledges they made to the youth, widows and women groups in Malava.Maintaining this presence will give the people of Malava reason to celebrate and not regret ever having trusted Farouk and Ndakwa. Moreover, this modus operandi serves as a reminder to all leaders that they owe those who elected them to office their loyalty and undivided attention.This is important because the physical presence of politicians on the ground within their jurisdictions once they win elections is a rare occurrence.The routine is that immediately they get their certificates from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, they become scarce, hire bodyguards to keep the riff raff at bay and hide behind the tinted windows of their high end vehicles, which they compulsively acquire to match their newly assumed demigod statuses.The tragedy is that voters seem not to realise they have the power to take their leaders to task over their absence and lacklustre performances. In 2027, voters should kick out all absentee leaders.As this penultimate year progresses, we are entering that season that the 'waheshimiwa' who did a disappearing act circa September 2022, develop the itch to reappear, all innocent and rearing to unleash yet another set of lies that will earn them the trust of hapless voters whose subservience is guaranteed by the poverty that defines their troubled existences.In western, there is no shortage of leaders adept at the disappearing act. And whenever they choose to reappear, they have a ready smokescreen called Luhya unity to hide behind.Little wonder then that after being accused of neglecting their people and 'eating alone', the burial of former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo on December 30, 2025 gave the absentees the perfect opportunity to revive Luhya unity calls.What they are not telling the world is what exactly they want the Luhya rank-and-file to unite against. It is not contestable that ordinary Luhya people have never been divided. They are not at war and respect each other's cultures even when they marginally differ in some aspects.They are industrious people who love peace and mind their business, which is why they are called the people of 'mulembe' (peace). It is their querulous leadership that has a problem, and must fix it without always dragging the masses into it.Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPThe top Luhya leadership has never failed to regale its people with the tale that after Ruto in 2032, one of them will wear the crown. Farouk has a word of advice for them: ‘Merge your egos or bury the ambition’.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

As the shifts start to manifest, the expectation of many is that 2026 will be quite hectic, full of defections and new alliances in the pursuit of advantage. Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula kicked off the expected frenzy by ditching the Democratic Action Party (DAP) for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) last week, a move that was not entirely out of the blue.In the period preceding the November 27, 2025 Malava Constituency by-election, Savula openly campaigned for UDA candidate David Ndakwa against his party's candidate Seth Panyako. This stood out clearly, as did the presence of Farouk Kibet, President William Ruto's right hand man, during the tough campaigns that he single-handedly saw through to a successful conclusion.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsAppAlmost two months later, Farouk has developed an affinity for Malava and appears to have become a permanent feature in the constituency. He is still physically on the ground, not campaigning this time, but meeting with the people and delivering on the promises he made during the campaigns, acts that could buttress UDAs standing in the area.All this while, Farouk and Ndakwa have been issuing bursaries and honouring other pledges they made to the youth, widows and women groups in Malava.Maintaining this presence will give the people of Malava reason to celebrate and not regret ever having trusted Farouk and Ndakwa. Moreover, this modus operandi serves as a reminder to all leaders that they owe those who elected them to office their loyalty and undivided attention.This is important because the physical presence of politicians on the ground within their jurisdictions once they win elections is a rare occurrence.The routine is that immediately they get their certificates from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, they become scarce, hire bodyguards to keep the riff raff at bay and hide behind the tinted windows of their high end vehicles, which they compulsively acquire to match their newly assumed demigod statuses.The tragedy is that voters seem not to realise they have the power to take their leaders to task over their absence and lacklustre performances. In 2027, voters should kick out all absentee leaders.As this penultimate year progresses, we are entering that season that the 'waheshimiwa' who did a disappearing act circa September 2022, develop the itch to reappear, all innocent and rearing to unleash yet another set of lies that will earn them the trust of hapless voters whose subservience is guaranteed by the poverty that defines their troubled existences.In western, there is no shortage of leaders adept at the disappearing act. And whenever they choose to reappear, they have a ready smokescreen called Luhya unity to hide behind.Little wonder then that after being accused of neglecting their people and 'eating alone', the burial of former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo on December 30, 2025 gave the absentees the perfect opportunity to revive Luhya unity calls.What they are not telling the world is what exactly they want the Luhya rank-and-file to unite against. It is not contestable that ordinary Luhya people have never been divided. They are not at war and respect each other's cultures even when they marginally differ in some aspects.They are industrious people who love peace and mind their business, which is why they are called the people of 'mulembe' (peace). It is their querulous leadership that has a problem, and must fix it without always dragging the masses into it.Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPThe top Luhya leadership has never failed to regale its people with the tale that after Ruto in 2032, one of them will wear the crown. Farouk has a word of advice for them: ‘Merge your egos or bury the ambition’.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

In the period preceding the November 27, 2025 Malava Constituency by-election, Savula openly campaigned for UDA candidate David Ndakwa against his party's candidate Seth Panyako. This stood out clearly, as did the presence of Farouk Kibet, President William Ruto's right hand man, during the tough campaigns that he single-handedly saw through to a successful conclusion.Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsAppAlmost two months later, Farouk has developed an affinity for Malava and appears to have become a permanent feature in the constituency. He is still physically on the ground, not campaigning this time, but meeting with the people and delivering on the promises he made during the campaigns, acts that could buttress UDAs standing in the area.All this while, Farouk and Ndakwa have been issuing bursaries and honouring other pledges they made to the youth, widows and women groups in Malava.Maintaining this presence will give the people of Malava reason to celebrate and not regret ever having trusted Farouk and Ndakwa. Moreover, this modus operandi serves as a reminder to all leaders that they owe those who elected them to office their loyalty and undivided attention.This is important because the physical presence of politicians on the ground within their jurisdictions once they win elections is a rare occurrence.The routine is that immediately they get their certificates from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, they become scarce, hire bodyguards to keep the riff raff at bay and hide behind the tinted windows of their high end vehicles, which they compulsively acquire to match their newly assumed demigod statuses.The tragedy is that voters seem not to realise they have the power to take their leaders to task over their absence and lacklustre performances. In 2027, voters should kick out all absentee leaders.As this penultimate year progresses, we are entering that season that the 'waheshimiwa' who did a disappearing act circa September 2022, develop the itch to reappear, all innocent and rearing to unleash yet another set of lies that will earn them the trust of hapless voters whose subservience is guaranteed by the poverty that defines their troubled existences.In western, there is no shortage of leaders adept at the disappearing act. And whenever they choose to reappear, they have a ready smokescreen called Luhya unity to hide behind.Little wonder then that after being accused of neglecting their people and 'eating alone', the burial of former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo on December 30, 2025 gave the absentees the perfect opportunity to revive Luhya unity calls.What they are not telling the world is what exactly they want the Luhya rank-and-file to unite against. It is not contestable that ordinary Luhya people have never been divided. They are not at war and respect each other's cultures even when they marginally differ in some aspects.They are industrious people who love peace and mind their business, which is why they are called the people of 'mulembe' (peace). It is their querulous leadership that has a problem, and must fix it without always dragging the masses into it.Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPThe top Luhya leadership has never failed to regale its people with the tale that after Ruto in 2032, one of them will wear the crown. Farouk has a word of advice for them: ‘Merge your egos or bury the ambition’.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Almost two months later, Farouk has developed an affinity for Malava and appears to have become a permanent feature in the constituency. He is still physically on the ground, not campaigning this time, but meeting with the people and delivering on the promises he made during the campaigns, acts that could buttress UDAs standing in the area.All this while, Farouk and Ndakwa have been issuing bursaries and honouring other pledges they made to the youth, widows and women groups in Malava.Maintaining this presence will give the people of Malava reason to celebrate and not regret ever having trusted Farouk and Ndakwa. Moreover, this modus operandi serves as a reminder to all leaders that they owe those who elected them to office their loyalty and undivided attention.This is important because the physical presence of politicians on the ground within their jurisdictions once they win elections is a rare occurrence.The routine is that immediately they get their certificates from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, they become scarce, hire bodyguards to keep the riff raff at bay and hide behind the tinted windows of their high end vehicles, which they compulsively acquire to match their newly assumed demigod statuses.The tragedy is that voters seem not to realise they have the power to take their leaders to task over their absence and lacklustre performances. In 2027, voters should kick out all absentee leaders.As this penultimate year progresses, we are entering that season that the 'waheshimiwa' who did a disappearing act circa September 2022, develop the itch to reappear, all innocent and rearing to unleash yet another set of lies that will earn them the trust of hapless voters whose subservience is guaranteed by the poverty that defines their troubled existences.In western, there is no shortage of leaders adept at the disappearing act. And whenever they choose to reappear, they have a ready smokescreen called Luhya unity to hide behind.Little wonder then that after being accused of neglecting their people and 'eating alone', the burial of former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo on December 30, 2025 gave the absentees the perfect opportunity to revive Luhya unity calls.What they are not telling the world is what exactly they want the Luhya rank-and-file to unite against. It is not contestable that ordinary Luhya people have never been divided. They are not at war and respect each other's cultures even when they marginally differ in some aspects.They are industrious people who love peace and mind their business, which is why they are called the people of 'mulembe' (peace). It is their querulous leadership that has a problem, and must fix it without always dragging the masses into it.Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPThe top Luhya leadership has never failed to regale its people with the tale that after Ruto in 2032, one of them will wear the crown. Farouk has a word of advice for them: ‘Merge your egos or bury the ambition’.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

All this while, Farouk and Ndakwa have been issuing bursaries and honouring other pledges they made to the youth, widows and women groups in Malava.Maintaining this presence will give the people of Malava reason to celebrate and not regret ever having trusted Farouk and Ndakwa. Moreover, this modus operandi serves as a reminder to all leaders that they owe those who elected them to office their loyalty and undivided attention.This is important because the physical presence of politicians on the ground within their jurisdictions once they win elections is a rare occurrence.The routine is that immediately they get their certificates from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, they become scarce, hire bodyguards to keep the riff raff at bay and hide behind the tinted windows of their high end vehicles, which they compulsively acquire to match their newly assumed demigod statuses.The tragedy is that voters seem not to realise they have the power to take their leaders to task over their absence and lacklustre performances. In 2027, voters should kick out all absentee leaders.As this penultimate year progresses, we are entering that season that the 'waheshimiwa' who did a disappearing act circa September 2022, develop the itch to reappear, all innocent and rearing to unleash yet another set of lies that will earn them the trust of hapless voters whose subservience is guaranteed by the poverty that defines their troubled existences.In western, there is no shortage of leaders adept at the disappearing act. And whenever they choose to reappear, they have a ready smokescreen called Luhya unity to hide behind.Little wonder then that after being accused of neglecting their people and 'eating alone', the burial of former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo on December 30, 2025 gave the absentees the perfect opportunity to revive Luhya unity calls.What they are not telling the world is what exactly they want the Luhya rank-and-file to unite against. It is not contestable that ordinary Luhya people have never been divided. They are not at war and respect each other's cultures even when they marginally differ in some aspects.They are industrious people who love peace and mind their business, which is why they are called the people of 'mulembe' (peace). It is their querulous leadership that has a problem, and must fix it without always dragging the masses into it.Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPThe top Luhya leadership has never failed to regale its people with the tale that after Ruto in 2032, one of them will wear the crown. Farouk has a word of advice for them: ‘Merge your egos or bury the ambition’.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Maintaining this presence will give the people of Malava reason to celebrate and not regret ever having trusted Farouk and Ndakwa. Moreover, this modus operandi serves as a reminder to all leaders that they owe those who elected them to office their loyalty and undivided attention.This is important because the physical presence of politicians on the ground within their jurisdictions once they win elections is a rare occurrence.The routine is that immediately they get their certificates from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, they become scarce, hire bodyguards to keep the riff raff at bay and hide behind the tinted windows of their high end vehicles, which they compulsively acquire to match their newly assumed demigod statuses.The tragedy is that voters seem not to realise they have the power to take their leaders to task over their absence and lacklustre performances. In 2027, voters should kick out all absentee leaders.As this penultimate year progresses, we are entering that season that the 'waheshimiwa' who did a disappearing act circa September 2022, develop the itch to reappear, all innocent and rearing to unleash yet another set of lies that will earn them the trust of hapless voters whose subservience is guaranteed by the poverty that defines their troubled existences.In western, there is no shortage of leaders adept at the disappearing act. And whenever they choose to reappear, they have a ready smokescreen called Luhya unity to hide behind.Little wonder then that after being accused of neglecting their people and 'eating alone', the burial of former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo on December 30, 2025 gave the absentees the perfect opportunity to revive Luhya unity calls.What they are not telling the world is what exactly they want the Luhya rank-and-file to unite against. It is not contestable that ordinary Luhya people have never been divided. They are not at war and respect each other's cultures even when they marginally differ in some aspects.They are industrious people who love peace and mind their business, which is why they are called the people of 'mulembe' (peace). It is their querulous leadership that has a problem, and must fix it without always dragging the masses into it.Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPThe top Luhya leadership has never failed to regale its people with the tale that after Ruto in 2032, one of them will wear the crown. Farouk has a word of advice for them: ‘Merge your egos or bury the ambition’.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

This is important because the physical presence of politicians on the ground within their jurisdictions once they win elections is a rare occurrence.The routine is that immediately they get their certificates from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, they become scarce, hire bodyguards to keep the riff raff at bay and hide behind the tinted windows of their high end vehicles, which they compulsively acquire to match their newly assumed demigod statuses.The tragedy is that voters seem not to realise they have the power to take their leaders to task over their absence and lacklustre performances. In 2027, voters should kick out all absentee leaders.As this penultimate year progresses, we are entering that season that the 'waheshimiwa' who did a disappearing act circa September 2022, develop the itch to reappear, all innocent and rearing to unleash yet another set of lies that will earn them the trust of hapless voters whose subservience is guaranteed by the poverty that defines their troubled existences.In western, there is no shortage of leaders adept at the disappearing act. And whenever they choose to reappear, they have a ready smokescreen called Luhya unity to hide behind.Little wonder then that after being accused of neglecting their people and 'eating alone', the burial of former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo on December 30, 2025 gave the absentees the perfect opportunity to revive Luhya unity calls.What they are not telling the world is what exactly they want the Luhya rank-and-file to unite against. It is not contestable that ordinary Luhya people have never been divided. They are not at war and respect each other's cultures even when they marginally differ in some aspects.They are industrious people who love peace and mind their business, which is why they are called the people of 'mulembe' (peace). It is their querulous leadership that has a problem, and must fix it without always dragging the masses into it.Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPThe top Luhya leadership has never failed to regale its people with the tale that after Ruto in 2032, one of them will wear the crown. Farouk has a word of advice for them: ‘Merge your egos or bury the ambition’.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

The routine is that immediately they get their certificates from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, they become scarce, hire bodyguards to keep the riff raff at bay and hide behind the tinted windows of their high end vehicles, which they compulsively acquire to match their newly assumed demigod statuses.The tragedy is that voters seem not to realise they have the power to take their leaders to task over their absence and lacklustre performances. In 2027, voters should kick out all absentee leaders.As this penultimate year progresses, we are entering that season that the 'waheshimiwa' who did a disappearing act circa September 2022, develop the itch to reappear, all innocent and rearing to unleash yet another set of lies that will earn them the trust of hapless voters whose subservience is guaranteed by the poverty that defines their troubled existences.In western, there is no shortage of leaders adept at the disappearing act. And whenever they choose to reappear, they have a ready smokescreen called Luhya unity to hide behind.Little wonder then that after being accused of neglecting their people and 'eating alone', the burial of former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo on December 30, 2025 gave the absentees the perfect opportunity to revive Luhya unity calls.What they are not telling the world is what exactly they want the Luhya rank-and-file to unite against. It is not contestable that ordinary Luhya people have never been divided. They are not at war and respect each other's cultures even when they marginally differ in some aspects.They are industrious people who love peace and mind their business, which is why they are called the people of 'mulembe' (peace). It is their querulous leadership that has a problem, and must fix it without always dragging the masses into it.Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPThe top Luhya leadership has never failed to regale its people with the tale that after Ruto in 2032, one of them will wear the crown. Farouk has a word of advice for them: ‘Merge your egos or bury the ambition’.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

The tragedy is that voters seem not to realise they have the power to take their leaders to task over their absence and lacklustre performances. In 2027, voters should kick out all absentee leaders.As this penultimate year progresses, we are entering that season that the 'waheshimiwa' who did a disappearing act circa September 2022, develop the itch to reappear, all innocent and rearing to unleash yet another set of lies that will earn them the trust of hapless voters whose subservience is guaranteed by the poverty that defines their troubled existences.In western, there is no shortage of leaders adept at the disappearing act. And whenever they choose to reappear, they have a ready smokescreen called Luhya unity to hide behind.Little wonder then that after being accused of neglecting their people and 'eating alone', the burial of former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo on December 30, 2025 gave the absentees the perfect opportunity to revive Luhya unity calls.What they are not telling the world is what exactly they want the Luhya rank-and-file to unite against. It is not contestable that ordinary Luhya people have never been divided. They are not at war and respect each other's cultures even when they marginally differ in some aspects.They are industrious people who love peace and mind their business, which is why they are called the people of 'mulembe' (peace). It is their querulous leadership that has a problem, and must fix it without always dragging the masses into it.Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPThe top Luhya leadership has never failed to regale its people with the tale that after Ruto in 2032, one of them will wear the crown. Farouk has a word of advice for them: ‘Merge your egos or bury the ambition’.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

As this penultimate year progresses, we are entering that season that the 'waheshimiwa' who did a disappearing act circa September 2022, develop the itch to reappear, all innocent and rearing to unleash yet another set of lies that will earn them the trust of hapless voters whose subservience is guaranteed by the poverty that defines their troubled existences.In western, there is no shortage of leaders adept at the disappearing act. And whenever they choose to reappear, they have a ready smokescreen called Luhya unity to hide behind.Little wonder then that after being accused of neglecting their people and 'eating alone', the burial of former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo on December 30, 2025 gave the absentees the perfect opportunity to revive Luhya unity calls.What they are not telling the world is what exactly they want the Luhya rank-and-file to unite against. It is not contestable that ordinary Luhya people have never been divided. They are not at war and respect each other's cultures even when they marginally differ in some aspects.They are industrious people who love peace and mind their business, which is why they are called the people of 'mulembe' (peace). It is their querulous leadership that has a problem, and must fix it without always dragging the masses into it.Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPThe top Luhya leadership has never failed to regale its people with the tale that after Ruto in 2032, one of them will wear the crown. Farouk has a word of advice for them: ‘Merge your egos or bury the ambition’.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

In western, there is no shortage of leaders adept at the disappearing act. And whenever they choose to reappear, they have a ready smokescreen called Luhya unity to hide behind.Little wonder then that after being accused of neglecting their people and 'eating alone', the burial of former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo on December 30, 2025 gave the absentees the perfect opportunity to revive Luhya unity calls.What they are not telling the world is what exactly they want the Luhya rank-and-file to unite against. It is not contestable that ordinary Luhya people have never been divided. They are not at war and respect each other's cultures even when they marginally differ in some aspects.They are industrious people who love peace and mind their business, which is why they are called the people of 'mulembe' (peace). It is their querulous leadership that has a problem, and must fix it without always dragging the masses into it.Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPThe top Luhya leadership has never failed to regale its people with the tale that after Ruto in 2032, one of them will wear the crown. Farouk has a word of advice for them: ‘Merge your egos or bury the ambition’.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

Little wonder then that after being accused of neglecting their people and 'eating alone', the burial of former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo on December 30, 2025 gave the absentees the perfect opportunity to revive Luhya unity calls.What they are not telling the world is what exactly they want the Luhya rank-and-file to unite against. It is not contestable that ordinary Luhya people have never been divided. They are not at war and respect each other's cultures even when they marginally differ in some aspects.They are industrious people who love peace and mind their business, which is why they are called the people of 'mulembe' (peace). It is their querulous leadership that has a problem, and must fix it without always dragging the masses into it.Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPThe top Luhya leadership has never failed to regale its people with the tale that after Ruto in 2032, one of them will wear the crown. Farouk has a word of advice for them: ‘Merge your egos or bury the ambition’.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Follow The Standard
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What they are not telling the world is what exactly they want the Luhya rank-and-file to unite against. It is not contestable that ordinary Luhya people have never been divided. They are not at war and respect each other's cultures even when they marginally differ in some aspects.They are industrious people who love peace and mind their business, which is why they are called the people of 'mulembe' (peace). It is their querulous leadership that has a problem, and must fix it without always dragging the masses into it.Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPThe top Luhya leadership has never failed to regale its people with the tale that after Ruto in 2032, one of them will wear the crown. Farouk has a word of advice for them: ‘Merge your egos or bury the ambition’.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Follow The Standard
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They are industrious people who love peace and mind their business, which is why they are called the people of 'mulembe' (peace). It is their querulous leadership that has a problem, and must fix it without always dragging the masses into it.Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletterBy clicking on theSIGN UPbutton, you agree to ourTerms & Conditionsand thePrivacy PolicySIGN UPThe top Luhya leadership has never failed to regale its people with the tale that after Ruto in 2032, one of them will wear the crown. Farouk has a word of advice for them: ‘Merge your egos or bury the ambition’.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Follow The Standard
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The top Luhya leadership has never failed to regale its people with the tale that after Ruto in 2032, one of them will wear the crown. Farouk has a word of advice for them: ‘Merge your egos or bury the ambition’.Stay Informed, Stay Empowered: Download the Standard ePaper App!Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp

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