The youth, led by Kisumu County Chief Officer for Education and Kisumu Central parliamentary aspirant Bovince Ochieng, said they had moved beyond the disputed 2022 election and were more interested in working with the government to promote development in the region.
Their remarks came a day after retired President Uhuru Kenyatta said he remained convinced that the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga won the 2022 presidential election, despite President William Ruto being declared the winner.
Ochieng said young people should not remain preoccupied with past political contests, arguing that the current administration was already in office and should instead be assessed based on its development record.
“As young people, 2022 is behind us. We have moved forward. We are looking at the future of this nation together as a region,” Ochieng said.
He also praised the late Odinga for working with Ruto following the 2024 political crisis, describing the move as an example of statesmanship that helped preserve peace and allowed the country to move forward.
According to Ochieng, development projects being implemented in Kisumu demonstrate the benefits of cooperation between the national government and the region.
He cited the elevation of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital to a Level Six facility, improvements in healthcare infrastructure, road projects, affordable housing initiatives and the planned extension of the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha through Kisumu to Malaba.
Ochieng also highlighted road projects linking Bamburi, Miwani, Chemelil, Muhoroni and Kipsitet, alongside the Awasi-Katito and Chega-Rabu roads.
He said the national government had committed more than Ksh50 billion to development projects in Kisumu County, describing the investments as part of efforts to address historical inequalities in the region.
The national government has separately outlined a development portfolio valued at about Ksh49.5 billion for Kisumu as part of a wider Ksh173.8 billion package covering Kisumu, Siaya, Migori and Homa Bay counties.
During President Ruto’s September 2026 tour of Kisumu, the government also launched the Ksh8.4 billion Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Project, which is expected to expand water and sewerage infrastructure in the city.
Ochieng urged young people to take a more active role in discussions about the country’s political and development future instead of remaining on the sidelines.
“We must join the conversation of the future of this nation because, as young people, we are the drivers and the engines that can take us to where we want to be as a nation,” he said.
Youth Urged to Support ODM
Ochieng also called on young people to join the Orange Democratic Movement, saying the party remains an important vehicle for political engagement in the region following the death of its former leader, Raila Odinga.
His remarks come as political leaders across the country intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 General Election, with Kisumu remaining an important political base for ODM and a key battleground in the evolving political realignment.
