NAIROBI, Kenya — Former presidential candidate George Wajackoyah has pledged political loyalty to the Luhya community leadership following a meeting with Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli at his Ildamat home.
Atwoli said the meeting was held in his capacity as a Luhya elder and community leader, noting that Wajackoyah assured him he would abide by any political direction issued for the Luhya nation.
“Today, George Wajackoyah visited me at my Ildamat home, in my capacity as a Luhya elder, to affirm his loyalty,” Atwoli said. “He has given me a strong assurance that he will abide by any political direction that I shall provide for the Luhya nation.”
The COTU secretary general added that Wajackoyah arrived bearing a sheep, which he described as a traditional cultural symbol of acceptance and respect among the Luhya community.
“He also brought with him a sheep, which is a traditional symbol of acceptance,” Atwoli said.
Wajackoyah, the leader of the Roots Party, contested the presidency in the 2022 General Election, finishing fourth with 61,969 votes. In 2024, he announced his intention to challenge President William Ruto again in the 2027 polls.
He has publicly expressed dissatisfaction with President Ruto’s formation of a broad-based government, arguing that former presidential aspirants who contested the 2022 election were excluded from the arrangement.
Regarding his 2027 bid, Wajackoyah has said he intends to retain his long-standing campaign platform advocating for the legalisation of marijuana, which he describes as a sacred plant referenced in religious texts.
“Go to the book of Genesis 1:29, God Himself said this is my holy plant,” Wajackoyah previously said. “God appeared in the form of fire and smoke. Have you ever asked yourselves what that smoke was?”
He has argued that scientific research should be undertaken to examine marijuana’s historical and religious significance, claiming it was used for purification.
The meeting with Atwoli comes amid intensifying political realignments as leaders position themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election, with community elders and power brokers increasingly emerging as focal points in early mobilisation efforts.
