KISUMU, Kenya Sep 8 – Leaders from Western Kenya have declared their support for President William Ruto’s re-election in 2027, saying their immediate political priority is to secure the presidency rather than coordinate campaigns for individual elective seats.The leaders met in Kisumu on Monday for consultations on the region’s political position, development priorities and interests ahead of the 2027 General Election.Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Wycliffe Oparanya said more than 22 elected and nominated leaders attended the meeting, while five others sent apologies after being unable to attend because they were outside the country on official duties.Oparanya said the meeting marked the beginning of regular consultations among leaders from the region as they assess the political landscape and determine how best to advance Western Kenya’s interests.“We have organized this meeting mainly to look at the current political situation, to look at the development agenda of the region,” Oparanya said.The CS said the meeting would also examine challenges affecting the cooperatives sector, including coffee production and other matters under his ministry.Oparanya said the leaders had agreed that supporting Ruto’s bid for a second term would be their main political focus ahead of the 2027 polls.“And all people you see here, all leaders you see here, they are campaigning for His Excellency the President for two terms,” he said.He further stated that the leaders were united behind Ruto’s re-election bid.“These leaders are fully behind His Excellency William Ruto for his re-election,” Oparanya said.The declaration places Western Kenya leaders at the centre of the emerging political realignments ahead of the 2027 presidential contest, with the region expected to attract significant attention from competing political formations.Oparanya, however, made it clear that the regional initiative would not necessarily extend to coordinated campaigns for parliamentary and other elective positions.He said individual politicians would remain responsible for defending or seeking their respective seats, while the broader regional mobilisation would concentrate on the presidency.“We are not interested so far in individual seats; people are going to fight for their own individual seats, they are free, but here our concern is one, for the presidency,” he said.The approach is expected to allow individual leaders to pursue their own political interests while maintaining a common position on the presidential contest.Oparanya acknowledged that Members of Parliament would have to campaign independently for their seats but said efforts would be made to establish a broader team to support the presidential campaign.“Each member of Parliament here, they have to go to survive on their own, and we shall see a way of now incorporating county government so that we now campaign as a team,” Oparanya said.The leaders are also expected to explore ways of involving county governments in the wider political mobilisation.Oparanya said future consultations would bring together more leaders and stakeholders as the group develops its strategy ahead of the elections.The meetings are expected to address both political and development matters affecting Western Kenya, with leaders seeking to articulate the region’s priorities while building a common position on the presidential contest.The Kisumu meeting comes as political parties and prominent leaders intensify preparations for the 2027 General Election.Western Kenya remains an influential voting bloc in presidential elections and is expected to be a key battleground as political alliances take shape.The region’s political leadership has in recent years been divided across different parties and alliances, making the latest declaration of support for Ruto significant as campaigns begin to gather momentum.Oparanya said Monday’s meeting was only the first in a series of consultations and that the leaders would continue engaging before issuing a comprehensive resolution.The leaders are expected to release a joint statement outlining their position after completing their deliberations.