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Western Kenya sets sights on 2032 presidency as leaders rally behind Ruto’s re-election bid

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Leaders from Kenya’s Western region, allied with President William Ruto, have intensified their campaigns to position one of their own to succeed the head of state upon his retirement.

Led by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, the leaders emphasised that their numerical strength was advantageous to their strategic bid for President Ruto’s re-election.

Amid the alignments and realignments anticipated to shape the 2027 contest, the leaders urged the Luhya community to support Ruto’s re-election, with the hope that he would reciprocate by backing a candidate from their region for the presidency.

Campaigning for the President’s re-election at a women’s empowerment event in Khwisero, Kakamega County, Wetang’ula called on the community to vote for President Ruto in the next general election. He then stated that by 2032, the region must rise to the occasion and seek the presidency.

“We supported Raila when he eyed the presidency, we supported Kibaki, others supported Kenyatta. In this last election, we supported President Ruto. Now it is our turn to use these alliances to rise to the presidency,” stated the Speaker.

The Speaker cautioned the people of Western Kenya against being drawn into the self-serving politics advanced by some of its leaders eyeing political power. He stressed the importance of regional unity to increase their bargaining power in future contests.

Farouk Kibet, an aide to the President, echoed these sentiments, noting that Wetang’ula was the community’s preferred candidate to take over from President Ruto.

“Those saying it is not time for Western are dreaming. Come 2032, a leader from Western Kenya will be President, and that person is Speaker Wetang’ula,” he affirmed.

Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka stated that the community was looking to Wetang’ula to spearhead their presidential bid and called on leaders and residents to rally behind him to build a formidable force for the country’s top seat.

“The Luhya community stands a better chance of ascending to power by supporting President Ruto because he will be doing his last five years…if we rally behind another leader, we will have to wait for 10 years,” said Lusaka.

He added: “The senior most politician we have to from for presidency is Speaker Wetang’ula”.

Khwisero legislator Christopher Aseka supported the push to elevate Speaker Wetang’ula from the third-in-command position to the presidency.

He noted that the Deputy President slot was being eyed by many, including current Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki and ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga, suggesting that a leader from the Luhya community was better placed to occupy the position due to their numbers.

“We will support President Ruto’s re-election bid, then we will ask him to return the favour in 2032,” chimed his Ikolomani counterpart Bernard Shinali.

Speaker Wetang’ula dismissed the assertion that the Western region had been misled into believing they were a formidable part of the government. He argued that, since independence, only the Kenya Kwanza government had appointed Mulembe professionals to various key government positions.

“In retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government, we had one Cabinet Minister, but this time we have several of our people in Cabinet, as Principal Secretaries, and I as the Speaker, among others. However, to make ourselves more attractive and build alliances, we must unite,” the Speaker added.

The Kenya Kwanza administration was lauded for initiating widespread development across the country and promoting equity in development. The Speaker detailed the dualling of the Rironi-Mau Summit road and its impact on decongesting the busy highway, facilitating faster movement of goods, people, and services.

He also celebrated the planned extension of the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha to Kisumu and further into Western Kenya, stating that this would also spur growth and development.

Wetang’ula commended farmers who had embraced the government’s reduction in the cost of farm inputs, particularly fertiliser, whose price had dropped from Ksh. 7500 to Ksh. 2500. Wetang’ula stated that the country’s food basket had been sufficiently replenished-KBC.

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National Assembly dismisses claims Sacco Bill is being rushed through Parliament

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The National Assembly has dismissed reports that the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is being rushed through Parliament, saying the proposed law is still undergoing public participation.

Through infographics shared on Facebook on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Parliament said misleading information had been circulating online about the Bill, formally known as the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, National Assembly Bill No. 32 of 2025.

Bill was published in June 2025

The National Assembly said the Bill was published on June 30, 2025, and had remained under consideration for more than 12 months.

It rejected suggestions that lawmakers were fast-tracking the proposed amendments without allowing enough time for scrutiny.

According to Parliament, the lengthy period between the publication of the Bill and its current consideration shows that it is not being rushed.

Bill currently before the National Assembly committee

The Sacco Societies Amendment Bill is currently before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.

The committee is conducting public participation and receiving views from members of the public and other stakeholders.

The submissions are expected to help the committee assess the proposed amendments before presenting its recommendations to the National Assembly.

What happens after public participation?

After the public participation process is concluded, the committee will prepare a report containing its findings and recommendations.

Parliament said the views submitted by members of the public and stakeholders could inform further amendments to the Bill.

The proposed legislation will then proceed to the National Assembly for consideration by MPs.

This means the Bill has not yet completed the legislative process and could still be amended based on the submissions received during public participation.

Bill will be forwarded to Senate

The National Assembly also clarified that the Bill will not proceed directly for presidential assent after being passed by MPs.

Because the proposed legislation concerns county governments, it will be forwarded to the Senate for consideration in accordance with the Constitution.

The Senate will be required to consider the Bill before it can complete the parliamentary process and be presented for presidential assent.

Parliament urged members of the public to rely on verified information about the Sacco Societies Amendment Bill instead of unconfirmed reports circulating online-PeopleDaily.Digital.

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Digital house-hunting platform bets on technology to reshape Nairobi’s rental market

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NAIROBI, Kenya, July 14 – A growing shift towards digital property searches is changing how Kenyans find rental homes, with real estate technology platform Reemio positioning itself as a solution to longstanding challenges.

This included fraudulent listings, costly house searches and limited market transparency.

As younger, tech-savvy consumers turn to online platforms to make purchasing decisions, the company says digitizing the rental process could improve efficiency for both tenants and landlords while lowering transaction costs.

“Our niche is to solve the problem of house hunting and also bring trust into that process. We use technology to connect renters and landlords,” said Kimani.

Kimani said the platform seeks to address inefficiencies that have traditionally made house hunting expensive and time-consuming.

Instead of physically visiting multiple properties, users can browse verified listings, take virtual tours, compare amenities and access information on additional costs such as water charges, electricity bills and service fees before scheduling physical viewings.

Beyond improving convenience for tenants, Reemio argues that technology can help landlords reduce marketing costs, shorten vacancy periods and reach a wider pool of prospective tenants, including Kenyans living abroad.

The company says its platform also generates market data that can help property owners and developers better understand evolving consumer preferences, although its long-term impact will depend on wider adoption of digital property platforms and continued investment in trustworthy online real estate marketplaces-Capitalfm.co.ke.

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ORPP edges two parties closer to joining Kenya’s political arena

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The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) has issued a notice for the provisional registration of two proposed political parties, opening a seven-day window for members of the public to lodge objections.

In a notice published by the Registrar of Political Parties and Chief Executive Officer J.C. Lorionokou, the ORPP announced that the Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) and the People’s Alternative Voice (PAV) are in the process of being provisionally registered under Section 5(2)(a) of the Political Parties Act.

The ORPP, a State office established under Section 33 of the Political Parties Act and Article 260 of the Constitution, said its mandate includes registering and regulating political parties as well as administering the Political Parties Fund.

According to the notice, the Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) has adopted pink, white and sky blue as its official party colours, with the slogan “Change – Mageuzi.” The party’s symbol is the acronym SDP enclosed inside a circle.

The party’s listed founder members are Nyangong’ Duncan Nyumbah, Omwandasi Jared Dishon and Kinyua Mary Wacuka.

The founders of PAV are listed as Odenyo John Fitzgerald Elly, Nyando Rachel Mmboga and Ali Hussein Kiplangat.

The Registrar said particulars of the two proposed political parties have been published on the ORPP website to facilitate public scrutiny as required by law.

Any person wishing to oppose the provisional registration of either party has seven days from the date of publication of the notice to submit objections either in writing or in person to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties at Lion Place, Fourth Floor, Waiyaki Way at Karuna Close, Nairobi.

The provisional registration marks the first step in the legal process of establishing a political party in Kenya.

Kenya has 91 fully registered political parties. The ORPP’s updated register indicates that, as of January 2026, there were 91 parties that had met the legal requirements for full registration under the Political Parties Act-STAR.

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