Luhya politics and voting in recent elections is a deep mystery to most Kenyans. And yet it is a matter of urgency to the Ruto administration because the very survival of the Ruto presidency could be decided by this community.
Interestingly even the appointment of Musalia Mudavadi (from the Luhya nation) to the position of chief cabinet secretary, the Mulembe nation are still restless and far from emphatic about their real political stance. Admittedly the passing of the recent Finance Bill 2023 might just change this as all Kenyans unite to oppose it.
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But to understand the Luhya, their future voting patterns and whether they can save the Ruto presidency, one must have some little known piece of information linked to the last leader of a unified Mulembe nation, Masinde Muliro. A man who had a consistent reputation for integrity. Indeed there are those who believe that were it possible to corrupt Muliro he may not have been assassinated.
Masinde Muliro launched his political career joining Kenya African Union (KAU), a body formed to champion the interests of Africans in colonial Kenya, when he quit teaching in 1957.
He contested the Nyanza North Legislative Council seat which was then held by W.W.W. Awori (Elder brother of the former Kenyan vice president Moody Awori). Muliro shockingly won the election proving his massive popularity.
Among his fellow legislators in the very first group of 8 African elected members to Legco were Daniel arap Moi representing the Rift valley, Tom Mboya representing Nairobi area, Bernard Mate representing Central Province, Ronald Ngala representing Coast Province, James Nzau Muimi representing Eastern Province, Lawrence Oguda representing Nyanza South, and Oginga Odinga representing Nyanza Central.
In 1958 Muliro formed the Kenya National Party with the support of 9 Legco members. He later on dissolved his party to join the Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU). He was subsequently appointed minister of commerce just before Kenya gained independence in 1963. Muliro worked in various positions in later governments, but was frequently on the wrong side of President Jomo Kenyatta.
After Kenyatta's death, and Daniel Arap Moi took over the presidency, he vied for the Kitale East seat in the 1979 general election but the new president, terrified of Muliro's national popularity – ensured his old KADU ally was rigged out in Kitale East in favour of ex-Mayor Fred Gumo. He remained in the cold between 1979—1984, he was again rigged out in the 1983 snap election by the KANU party. However, in the ensuing 1984 by-election after Gumo’s win was invalidated due to ballot box stuffing, Muliro narrowly won the resulting by-election against a Kalenjin candidate, Hon Joseph Yego.
He served as the Kitale East Constituency MP until 1988, when the constituency was split up and he contested the newly created Cherangany Constituency parliamentary seat in the infamous 1988 Mlolongo election. He narrowly won, but his election was immediately nullified. At the 1989 by-election, a newcomer Kalenjin Hon Kipruto Arap Kirwa was rigged in against him by Moi handlers.
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