By The Weekly Vision Reporter
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has stepped up efforts to consolidate his political base ahead of the 2027 General Election through a series of strategic meetings with community elders across the country. The gatherings, which have brought together leaders from diverse regions, are widely seen as part of a broader plan to position himself as a key national player.
On Saturday, October 11, 2025, Trans-Nzoia Governor George Natembeya met elders from the Kikuyu community at Ndura Stadium in Trans-Nzoia County. A week earlier, on 4 October, he visited Shiekembelo, Matungu, in Kakamega County, where he paid a courtesy call on Nabongo Peter Mumia II at his residence and was later installed as an elder by the Wanga Council of Elders. Earlier still, he had hosted elders from Vihiga County at his Milimani residence in Kitale.
Natembeya is reportedly seeking to become the next spokesperson of the Luhya Nation, a move that could see him challenge Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, currently the most senior political figure from the community.
However, it is his meeting with Kikuyu elders that has drawn the most attention, signalling what analysts view as a calculated bid to build a broader, cross-ethnic support base. “I wish to thank our elders for seeking unity in diversity and building bridges of friendship and brotherhood across cultures, communities, religions and regions to enhance our national cohesion and integration,” he said in a statement following the meeting.
While Natembeya is not yet considered a frontrunner among those eyeing State House from the United Opposition, which also includes DAP–K leader Eugene Wamalwa, analysts believe he could play a pivotal role if the coalition agrees to field a single presidential candidate.
Some observers also suggest that he could emerge as a potential running mate should the alliance split, aligning himself with former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i, with whom he worked closely during his tenure as Rift Valley Regional Commissioner. Former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party has declared its support for Dr Matiang’i and hinted that it could go it alone if a consensus is not reached among like-minded parties.
During the Kitale meeting, where a goat was slaughtered to symbolise unity and goodwill, Governor Natembeya noted that the Luhya and Kikuyu communities have historically worked together to achieve common political goals. He cited the partnership between former President Mwai Kibaki and Ford–Kenya leader Wamalwa Kijana, who, together with others, formed the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), which ended KANU’s decades-long rule in 2002. Wamalwa went on to serve as Vice-President until his death in August 2003. “The late Kibaki and Wamalwa turned our country into a true Rainbow Nation under the National Rainbow Coalition,” Natembeya said.
It has since emerged that a delegation of elders from Mt Kenya is expected to make a reciprocal visit to Trans Nzoia in the coming weeks.
