Nyaribari Masaba MP Dr Daniel Manduku has urged the Gusii community to support President William Ruto, arguing that the region stands to gain more by working with the government than backing an opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Manduku also questioned the political prospects of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i, claiming that the opposition alliance was unlikely to give him a presidential ticket.
The MP alleged that political alliances that had initially appeared receptive to Matiang’i had lost momentum, leaving the former CS without a clear political path.
“Yes, he is our son, but at the moment he has been left hanging. He is stranded on the wayside,” Manduku claimed.
He further alleged that former President Uhuru Kenyatta, whom he described as Matiang’i’s political sponsor, had distanced himself from the former Cabinet secretary.
Manduku, who recently ditched the opposition-linked ODM for the ruling UDA party, spoke on Friday at Sosera in Nyaribari Masaba Constituency during the launch of a Junior Secondary School classroom block.
He challenged Matiang’i to reconsider his political strategy and explore working with President Ruto.
“Why should we remain in the opposition when there is an opportunity to work with the government and secure development for our people?” he asked.
Manduku said the Gusii community should not invest its political capital in an opposition alliance whose ability to capture power remains uncertain.
“We must be pragmatic. Politics is about securing the interests of our people. We cannot continue betting on alliances whose future we are not sure about,” he said.
He argued that supporting Ruto would give the community a greater opportunity to influence national decision-making and attract development projects to the region.
“The government is where decisions are being made. If we want development and influence, we must position ourselves strategically,” Manduku said.
The MP urged residents to make political choices based on what he termed practical interests rather than emotional attachments to parties and political personalities.
“We should look at what benefits our people. Our politics must be about development, opportunities and the future of our children,” he said.
Manduku highlights development record
Separately, Manduku stepped up efforts to showcase his development record, presenting himself as a legislator who has delivered tangible projects in Nyaribari Masaba ahead of the 2027 elections.
He highlighted investment in school infrastructure, saying more than 40 per cent of the constituency’s development funds in the current financial year had been allocated to education-related projects.
Among the projects he has championed is a double-storey classroom block at Nyanturago Junior Secondary School, constructed through the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) at a reported cost of more than Sh30 million.
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