Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has affirmed that a Luhya must take over after President William Ruto leaves office in 2032.
Speaking on Monday in Kakamega County, the outspoken legislator took issue with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua whom he said is angling to inherit the presidency from Ruto at the end of his two terms, something he said Mulembe nation will not allow.
"Deputy President listen to me, whether you like it or not in 2032, the way Uhuru left and Ruto entered, when Ruto leaves it will be a Luhya who will enter," he said.
Khalwale was speaking during the launch of the tree planting exercise at Shamberere National Polytechnic in Malava Constituency.
It was part of the national initiative to plant 150 million trees towards the government's goal to plant 15 billion trees in 10 years.
The senator hinted at being the flagbearer for the coveted seat during the 2032 polls saying he is more learned and more experienced.
He said Western Kenya will not allow any leader to belittle the Luhya community as far as national leadership is concerned.
"It has to be clear. Nobody at the national level or the county level is going to play cheap politics on us. If it's about education, I'm more learned and four times more experienced than the Deputy President," he said.
Khalwale said the divide-and-rule tactic to weaken senior politicians in Western and other regions ahead of the 2032 polls will not work.
"He must respect our community. We are not a small community, we are a community of seven million people," he added to loud cheers and claps from the crowd.
Khalwale said just as the DP is making tours around the world in a bid to market coffee for the benefit of farmers in Central Kenya, he too will champion the rights of cane farmers in Western.
"We want just as the Deputy President has decided to fight for coffee farmers, whether I'm Deputy President or not, I will equally fight for sugarcane farmers."
The DP has been championing the war against coffee cartels whom he accuses of exploiting farmers by buying their coffee at lower prices and selling at higher prices to international buyers.
Gachagua expressed determination to tackle the faceless individuals whom he compared to ticks even as he said they were fighting back.
"We have not given up on the fight. They have become a problem because they are so entrenched, they have been fleecing farmers for 30 years. They are like ticks," the DP said as he vowed to bring reforms in the Agriculture sector.