(BUSIA, KENYA) – Senator Okiya Omtatah has said that he is not politically troubled by recent events in Busia County. He has revealed that a committee he formed to assess his suitability for a presidential run will complete its work this month. The report will then be launched in early July.
Mr Omtatah holds the position that a campaign for the presidency in 2027 needs careful planning. That is why he was careful to have a strong platform that would put the interests of Kenyans first.
The Senator currently faces difficult political choices. This follows the announcement by the first Governor of Busia, Sospeter Ojamoong, that he will run for the Busia Senate seat in 2027. Mr Ojamoong has already received backing from the current Busia Governor, Paul Otuoma, who plans to defend his seat through the ODM party.
In November 2024, Mr Omtatah formed a committee of ten people to judge whether he should run for president in 2027. The committee is led by Mary Kathomi Riungu, with Charles Okabaiku as her deputy. Both are expected to finish their work in the coming days. The Senator will then launch their report in early July.
“The report is nearing completion. I will receive it and then we will officially launch it in early July. All matters will have been examined, and that is when I will decide if I will run for president or return to Busia to defend the Senate seat,” Mr Omtatah said in an interview with Taifa Leo.
After the Gen Z protests in 2024, Mr Omtatah was among the leaders who gained popularity. Many thought such leaders could challenge President Ruto in the 2027 general election. This was because of his activism defending arrested young people. He was also a strong critic of the government, especially on issues of rights abuses.
However, a TIFA report released last month did not list him among those best placed to unseat President Ruto. The popularity he had when forming the committee to assess his presidential bid appears to be fading. It seems to be moving towards Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino.
“I do not shout at funerals like other politicians just to be known. My work is to defend the interests of the people of Busia and Kenyans in the Senate. My politics are guided by strategy rather than empty show,” he added.
The Senator said he would not hesitate to run for president if the committee’s results advise him to do so. He said all the necessary measures would have been examined.
“These people who are currently in a scramble have no real agenda. Their only goal is to remove President Ruto from power. The point is not to remove Ruto only for his place to be taken by these same people who plan to continue just as bad leadership.
“What matters is that we have a president who will care for the interests of Kenyans. It is not just about removing the current administration, only for those who enter to continue the same evils we have seen in the country,” Mr Omtatah said.
The leader expressed confidence that if he runs for president, he has the ability to defeat President Ruto. However, he said he cannot join the opposition coalition or the Linda Mwananchi movement. He said those groups have no agenda to serve Kenyans’ interests, only to remove President Ruto.
“What do they stand for, apart from removing President Ruto from power? So far I have not seen anything new that they are bringing or will do differently from President Ruto,” he said.
The move by Mr Otuoma to support Mr Ojamoong does not appear to worry the Senator. He said he is ready to face him in a debate if he does not run for president.
“Ojamoong has the right to run for any seat he wants. But we all know that during his ten-year term leading Busia, nothing meaningful was achieved in terms of development. Now they have united with Governor Otuoma, whose administration has been marked by corruption. They claim I have gone to court to stop projects from being done in Busia. Let them bring that evidence,” he said.