Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka has called on leaders in the United Opposition to stop politicizing the Lamu Refinery Project, saying the investment was set to create jobs, spur economic growth and improve livelihoods.

He urged political leaders to put national interests above partisan politics, arguing that strategic investments should be embraced as catalysts for economic transformation rather than turned into political battlegrounds.

“For Kenya to grow, we must welcome transformative investments that create jobs, stimulate economic activity and improve the livelihoods of our people, irrespective of our political affiliations,” Lusaka said.

The governor spoke during a Sunday service at Mungore ACK Church in Bumula Sub-County, where he also stepped up his grassroots mobilization campaign for President William Ruto’s re-election in 2027.

Lusaka, who is Ruto’s Western Kenya Presidential Re-election Coordinator, defended the administration’s development record, citing ongoing and planned infrastructure projects in Bungoma and the wider Western Kenya region.

He highlighted the Standard Gauge Railway extension through Myanga in Bumula, the Lunakwe Energy Centre, the Rironi-Mau Summit-Malaba dual carriageway and the Malakisi Bridge, saying the projects would improve connectivity, unlock economic opportunities and support regional development.

Lusaka maintained that the government’s development agenda would be central to the 2027 political contest and challenged the opposition to present alternative programmes anchored in tangible development rather than political rhetoric.

He also urged residents of Western Kenya to support Ruto in the 2027 General Election, arguing that continuity in leadership would help sustain ongoing projects and accelerate economic transformation.

By Chris Mahandara