Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi is pushing for increased voter registration in Western Kenya ahead of the 2027 General Election, saying the region must close the gap with other parts of the country.
Mudavadi said he will rally leaders and residents in Kakamega, Bungoma, Vihiga, Busia and Trans Nzoia to work closely with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to intensify the registration exercise.
He said the region currently has about 2.9 million registered voters and is targeting at least 3.4 million by January 2027.
“Siasa ni numbers (politics is about numbers). When we highlight Kakamega County as a critical voter bloc in Western Kenya, for example, we are lagging behind Nairobi and Kiambu in national voter registration. We must pull up our socks,” Mudavadi urged on Saturday.
“Currently as a region we are at around 2.9 million registered voters, meaning that we still have to work to close the 500,000 vote projection gap for us to boast of the numbers. This target will help broaden the margin to give President Ruto a two-term that is petition-free,” Mudavadi added.
According to IEBC statistics up to July 2026, Kakamega has more than 952,000 registered voters, Bungoma 720,000, Busia 456,000 and Vihiga 334,000. Trans Nzoia has at least 445,000 registered voters.
Mudavadi said the figures must improve across the region, urging leaders to make voter registration a priority at grassroots political gatherings.
“Let us start there, then move forward since we are not doing well in voter registration compared to other regions,” Mudavadi urged.
“Elections are won at the ballot. At all our political gatherings, especially at the grassroots, we want to liaise with IEBC officials so that they can be there to register voters because we want to promote enhanced voter registration,” he said.
Mudavadi spoke during the launch of the Magharibi Movement Initiative, a lobby group seeking to mobilise Western Kenya around President William Ruto's administration and his re-election bid.
He said although the movement will support Ruto's 2027 re-election bid, its agenda will extend beyond the polls to focus on the broader welfare and development of Western Kenya.
“True, there is a target for 2027, but we want to go beyond that,” he said.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary said the initiative would provide a platform for residents to engage on development, political representation and other issues affecting the region.
“A major focus of the Magharibi Movement will be increasing the number of registered voters in Western Kenya. Political influence is ultimately determined by the number of people who register, turn up at polling stations and cast their ballots,” said the Prime CS.
Mudavadi also warned supporters against relying on political slogans, insisting that rally attendance and campaign rhetoric do not determine election outcomes.
“Elections shall not be won by slogans. Slogans do not vote and do not win elections. It is all about going to the polling station and casting the ballot paper into that ballot box. That is a target that we must achieve,” he said.