A former journalist Gordon Opiyo has ignited political debate after claiming that Kisumu County is now leaning towards President William Ruto, while recounting his personal experiences of hostility in the region during years of political reporting and open opposition to the late ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Opiyo said Kisumu has always been defined by strong political loyalty and intense emotions around leadership, arguing that what many describe as “political radicalism” in the region is not new, but something that has existed for decades.
“Kisumu has always been full of political radicalism, and it has nothing to do with paid goons,” he said.
He narrated that for more than 20 years he positioned himself in opposition to Raila Odinga’s political influence, a move he says exposed him to difficult encounters in Kisumu and Migori counties.
According to him, the political environment in those areas was unforgiving to those seen as being on the opposing side of the dominant political wave at the time.
“My experience in two places gave me humbling lessons… Kisumu and Migori. I was thumped and bludgeoned in Kisumu several times and had to change tact in order to move around,” Opiyo said.
He added that during a visit in 2021 to a friend in Milimani estate, Kisumu, he had to carefully adjust how he moved around the city due to what he described as a hostile political climate for those perceived to be outside the dominant camp.
Opiyo further claimed that at the height of Raila Odinga’s influence in Nyanza, especially before and during the 2022 elections when Azimio la Umoja enjoyed strong support in the region, he often had to dress in ODM or Azimio regalia to avoid confrontation while in public spaces.
“Any time I had to move around Kisumu, I had to put on ODM regalia and later before 2022 elections Azimio regalia,” he said.
He argued that during the period when the late ODM leader commanded massive support in Kisumu, individuals seen to oppose the movement often faced resistance and, in some cases, physical confrontation.
According to him, similar experiences were also common in Migori, which he described as equally politically sensitive. He maintained that being in the opposing camp during that period made movement and expression of differing political views difficult in some areas.
Opiyo now says he sees a shift in the political mood, claiming that the current wave in Kisumu is gradually favouring President Ruto.
He suggested that the same intensity previously directed at opponents of Raila Odinga could now shift towards those opposing the current political direction in the region.
“Right now the wave is with Ruto, and anyone opposed to Ruto may not find it easy in Kisumu,” he said.
He insisted that the dynamics in Kisumu and Migori are not recent developments, stressing that political intolerance in the form of strong community-driven loyalty has been part of the region’s political culture for decades.
“It did not start yesterday, it did not start last year… this political radicalism has been there for decades,” he said.