BY MANUEL ODENY

Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o has retreat after political heat and joined his colleagues in Luo dominated Nyanza region to back the Broad-Based Government (BBG).

BBG is initiative President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga, and Nyong’o alongside his Siaya counterpart James Orengo have been vocal critics of the broad-based government framework.

In a recent press release, the the governor said the unity has created a conducive environment for development to take root in the country.

“As a county, we stand firmly behind the vision outlined in the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that underpins the Broad-Based Government. We celebrate the peace, unity, and renewed sense of hope that this partnership has inspired across the country. We call upon all Kenyans to rally behind this vision for a stronger, more inclusive Kenya,” he said.

Nyong’o urged the two leaders to continue with joint tours across the country to cement their union and bring all Kenyans together.

He further lauded the two leaders’ visit to Kisumu during the Madaraka Day fete in Homa Bay town which he said unlocked development projects for the lakeside county.

The about-turn has already seen Kisumu get the Makasembo Affordable Housing Project (Phase 1), the Lake Victoria Marina Affordable Housing Project at Kirembe, and the groundbreaking for the third phase of the Makasembo housing scheme, he said, were set to transform the economy of the county.

Nyong’o is banking on toning down political heat against Ruto’s administration so that other national government projects like the tarmacking of the Mamboleo–Miwani Road, the Kabonyo Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Service and Training Centre of Excellence, and the near completion of a Sh314 million new Air Traffic Control tower at Kisumu International Airport get fast tracked.

The Governor’s statement marks a significant departure from his earlier vocal criticisms of the BBG framework which brought sharp counter-statements from other leaders allied to Ruto-Raila alliance.

In previous statements, Nyong’o had expressed concerns that the arrangement undermined devolution by centralising power and withholding funds critical to county governments.

He specifically pointed to national agencies such as the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERRA) as examples of the national government’s encroachment on county functions.