Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya on Monday began a high-profile tour of Western Kenya, making his first public appearances since his recent court charges.
The governor landed at Kisumu International Airport early Monday morning before heading out for a series of stopovers and roadside rallies across five counties — Vihiga, Kakamega, Bungoma, and Trans Nzoia among them.
“Governor Natembeya lands at Kisumu International Airport ahead of his much-anticipated prayer meeting and homecoming scheduled to take place in Kitale, with stopovers in Vihiga, Kakamega, Bungoma, and Kitale,” the DAP-K party posted on its official X account.
Natembeya, who was welcomed by MCAs and enthusiastic supporters, is rallying the public under his Tawe Movement, which he says aims to fight poverty, unemployment, and food insecurity in the region.
His itinerary includes rallies in Luanda, Chavakali, Kakamega, Malava, Webuye, Bungoma, Chwele, Kimilili, Kamukuywa, and Kiminini, culminating in a major homecoming address in Kitale later this afternoon.
The rally is expected to emphasize themes of unity, spiritual reflection, and community empowerment, with several opposition leaders scheduled to join him in Kitale.
This tour comes just six days after Natembeya was arraigned in court on undisclosed charges, to which he pleaded not guilty. The governor was released on a Sh500,000 cash bail and barred from accessing his office for 60 days.
He is the second senior official from the DAP-K party — led by former Cabinet Minister Eugene Wamalwa — to face arrest in less than a week.
In a roadside address at Ruanda, Natembeya remained defiant, urging his supporters to stay united. “Tawe Movement is not just politics — it is a fight for dignity and economic justice for our people,” he said.
Meanwhile, political tensions remain high in the region. On Saturday, May 24, police in Kakamega lobbed teargas to disperse a gathering of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s DCP party supporters.
Natembeya’s rallies are expected to further stir the political waters in Western Kenya as he positions himself and the Tawe Movement as a powerful grassroots force.
