COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli has downplayed the political influence of the opposition team, stating that they will not garner any votes from the region without the support of key leaders, including himself.

Atwoli said their attempts to win the region in 2027 are “an exercise in futility" if they do not have the support of  ODM leader Raila Odinga, Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi and Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang'ula.

In a statement on Thursday, Atwoli stated that they will need the region’s bigwigs or they will lose. 

“Someone tell Gachagu, Kalonzo as long as our in-law Raila Odinga, Moses Wetangula, Musalia Mudavadi and myself are not with you, you cannot win Western Kenya,” he said.

“It is an exercise in futility. Mulembe Nation has its owners.”

The Western region has approximately 2.2 million votes spread across counties like Kakamega, Bungoma, Vihiga, Busia and Trans Nzoia.

Gachagua, Kalonzo and the entire opposition outfit are on a joint charm offensive across several counties, attempting to build a broader coalition ahead of 2027. 

On Thursday, the team visited Kakamega County and Kisumu County. The tour, which began on Thursday, will end on Friday, July 4, 2024.

Gachagua, who is also the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader, was accompanied by Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, DCP acting Chairman Cleophas Malala, DAP-Kenya's Eugene Wamalwa and former Public Service CS Justin Muturi.

The opposition has stepped up its grassroots engagements in recent weeks, signalling a renewed bid to challenge the Kenya Kwanza administration’s grip on the political landscape.

Gachagua, who has emerged as a vocal critic of the current leadership, has already held rallies in key regions including Meru, Laikipia, Embu, and Tharaka Nithi counties.

Their most recent stop was in Narok County, as the opposition intensifies efforts to present itself as a viable national alternative.

With mounting pressure from all corners, the Western region visit signals not just a charm offensive, but a deliberate strategy to reposition the opposition ahead of future political realignments.