He argues that by hosting over 9,000 UDA aspirants at the official residence of the president, the administration has blurred the lines between state functions and partisan politics.
Natembeya contends that this practice erodes the neutrality of the presidency, creating a perception that state resources—security, staff, and facilities—are being deployed to serve the interests of a single political machine at the expense of the general taxpayer.
The Tawe Movement, which Natembeya describes as a "liberation front" against bad leadership, has increasingly targeted the ruling party’s methods of mobilization.
In his latest address, the governor pointed out that while the government preaches austerity and fiscal discipline, it is simultaneously hosting massive, high-cost political gatherings at the ultimate seat of power.
This "duality of governance," according to Natembeya, is what the Tawe Movement seeks to reject, labeling it a betrayal of the common citizen who can no longer afford the "luxury of political theater."
This stance marks a significant departure from Natembeya’s early-term "cooperation" with the president. In 2023, the governor famously led a delegation to the State House to secure development "goodies" for Trans Nzoia, famously tweeting, "Ni kazi, si story."
However, the failure of several national projects to reach completion and the recent police-led disruptions of opposition rallies have soured the relationship.
Natembeya now characterizes those previous visits as professional consultations, whereas he views the recent UDA forum as a "hostile takeover" of public space for campaign purposes.
The political impact of this critique is most visible in Western Kenya, where Natembeya is positioning himself as an alternative to the region's established "broad-based" leaders like Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula.
By attacking the president on institutional grounds, he is appealing to a more urban, educated, and constitutionalist voter base.
He warns that if the presidency continues to be run like a "private company," the country risks a return to the era of the one-party state, where all major political decisions were dictated from the steps of the national residence.
Ultimately, George Natembeya’s "Tawe" (No) to the State House UDA meeting serves as a rally cry for the regrouping opposition.
He has called for an independent audit of the funds used to facilitate such massive gatherings, arguing that the UDA party should refund the National Treasury for the use of the facility and its logistics.
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