By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 25 May 2026 - Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi, who is also the Parliamentary Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairperson, has urged the Nyanza region to firmly back the emerging political understanding between ODM and President William Ruto’s administration, saying the region must organise itself strategically to remain relevant in national decision-making.
He also urged Kenyans to treat rumours on land ownership as cheap propaganda. On Monday, he shared a communique from the National Assembly Public Communication wing to clarify issues that have elicited sharp criticism, especially around land ownership.
The statement acknowledged that legislators had bumped into false information circulating online regarding the Finance Bill, 2026 alleging that the Bill has provisions on land and which will require Kenyans to pay annual land rent on freehold land.
In response, the National Assembly was clear that the Finance Bill, 2026 contains a total of 57 clauses and none is on the subject of land.
It further explained that the Bill does not in any way seek to convert freehold land to leasehold land where the public would have been required to pay annual land rent.
The statement also highlighted on previous Bills which President William Ruto gave assent to, clarifying that none had provisions on payment of annual land rent for freehold land.
“There is no such a Bill in Parliament and no Act has been passed by Parliament or signed into law by the President in the current Parliament relating to land rent on freehold land. The National Assembly urges the public to disregard the false information circulating which is intended to mislead Kenyans,” the statement read.
Over the weekend while speaking during an ODM youth meeting at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu, hosted by Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron, Atandi said the region could no longer afford political fragmentation if it intended to secure development gains, appointments and budgetary influence.
“This region must remain united,” Atandi said.
“We cannot go into the next political phase divided. That will weaken our bargaining power at the national table.”
The meeting brought together ODM youth leaders from across Kisumu County and senior elected leaders, including Seme MP James Nyikal and several Members of County Assembly, in what was widely seen as a mobilisation forum ahead of a planned regional convention in Kisumu.
Atandi said the evolving relationship between ODM leader Oburu Oginga Odinga and President Ruto should be viewed through a pragmatic lens of governance rather than ideological rivalry, arguing that cooperation was already yielding tangible opportunities for the region.
“In the coming election, we do not want to be invited at the last minute,” he said.
“We want to plan properly. We want to position ourselves so that we can negotiate from a point of strength.”
His remarks reflect a growing shift among some leaders in Nyanza who are increasingly advocating engagement with the Kenya Kwanza administration, even as traditional opposition politics remains deeply rooted in the region.
Atandi, who sits at the centre of national budget formulation, revealed that Parliament had allocated KSh 2 billion in the latest supplementary budget to compensate victims of post-election violence and political conflict.
“We have set aside Sh2 billion for victims who have suffered over the years due to political violence,” he said.
“These are families that lost loved ones, those who were injured, and those who were displaced.”
He said the funds would begin disbursement in the coming weeks, describing the move as part of efforts to address historical grievances linked to electoral cycles.
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“This should be the last time our people suffer because of politics,” he said.
“No community should lose lives or land because of elections.”
Atandi also highlighted increased education funding as part of broader government efforts to support youth empowerment. He said allocations to Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions had been doubled to KSh 10 billion.
“If you are in a TVET institution, your scholarship is guaranteed,” he said.
“We have already secured the funding in the budget.”
He further noted that funding for the Higher Education Loans Board had increased from KSh 40 billion to KSh 56 billion, aimed at easing pressure on university and college students struggling with rising education costs.
Atandi acknowledged that the Luo Nyanza region had not overwhelmingly supported President Ruto in the last election, but said the current broad-based political arrangement was already opening up access to national development opportunities.
“We are now in a situation where engagement matters,” he said.
“Isolation will not help us. Participation will.”
He warned against internal divisions within the region, arguing that disunity would weaken its influence in national politics and reduce its ability to secure key positions and resources.
Host MP Joshua Oron said the forum had three main objectives: uniting ODM youth structures, reaffirming loyalty to party leadership under Raila Odinga and ODM chair Gladys Wanga, and mobilising support for a major regional convention scheduled for 31 May 20 in Kisumu.
“We want unity among our youth,” Oron said.
“We want loyalty to our party leadership and full mobilisation for the Kisumu convention.”
He said the upcoming gathering would demonstrate the region’s political cohesion and its commitment to both ODM structures and the emerging cooperation framework with the national government.
“We are working together because we believe it is important for development, jobs and opportunities for our people,” he said.
As preparations continue for the Kisumu convention, leaders present signalled a coordinated effort to reposition Nyanza within Kenya’s shifting political landscape, balancing long-standing opposition identity with a new strategy of negotiated engagement at the centre of power.
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