Deputy President William Ruto kept off the upcoming Monday elections in various parts of the country as Azimio leader Raila Odinga intensified campaigns, which ended yesterday—48 hours to polls.
Azimio and Kenya Kwanza camped in Kakamega hours before the gubernatorial election to woo residents to vote for their candidates.
Azimio boss Raila Odinga led the onslaught, while Kenya Kwanza had ANC supremo Musalia Mudavadi combing the villages to canvas for support in a show of might.
The seat is held by outgoing Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, who doubles as ODM deputy party leader, and the Azimio team is doing everything possible to retain it.
Should Azimio lose the seat, it will not only be a big blow but matters will also be made worse in the event the Deputy President and now President-elect William Ruto takes over power as it could signal the beginning of the end of Mr Odinga’s stranglehold of the region.
Already, Azimio, through ODM and DAP-K, garnered 10 MPs out of 12 and 48 out of 60 MCAs in the county in the August 9 General Election. ANC won only two seats.
Mr Mudavadi landed in Kakamega on Thursday morning and led Kenya Kwanza troops in their last laps to campaign for their candidate, Cleophas Malala. They traversed the 12 constituencies to woo voters.
Mr Odinga landed on Thursday evening and spent the night at Mr Oparanya’s home in Butere to embark on vigorous campaigns for ODM candidate Fernandes Barasa.
Yesterday, the former Prime Minister meet with groups of elders from various parts of the county before embarking on a series of rallies in Khwisero, Matungu, Lugari, Shinyalu and Kakamega town.
The exercise had been postponed twice by the IEBC. In the first place, there were printing errors on the ballot papers.
Mr Malala and Barasa are the frontrunners in the contest and had been holding rallies daily to reach every voter.
Speaking at Ituti in Butere, Mr Mudavadi asked the Azimio team to remain patient, desist from hurling insults at IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati and wait for the verdict of the Supreme Court.
He said Kenya Kwanza had emerged as a strong outfit and that if the presidential election were to be held again, they would still win even without Mr Chebukati as the referee.
“Mr Odinga knows well inside his heart that he lost in the August 9 General Election. That is why he does not want a repeat election because he knows he will be defeated again,” said Mr Mudavadi.
Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa told Mr Odinga to forget about another handshake with Dr Ruto.
“Let our respected father Raila Odinga prepare to pack and go home or take up his role as opposition leader because there will be no more handshake,” said Mr Echesa.
Azimio wants Mr Chebukati barred from conducting the elections over claims of rigging in the concluded general election.
Speaking at Khwisero, Mr Odinga remained optimistic that the petition that Azimio has presented before the Supreme Court will end in his favour and that he will be declared the next president.
“I have no worries because I know justice will prevail. When I am president and Oparanya the Finance Cabinet Secretary, we shall ensure more money is allocated to Kakamega so that Mr Barasa manages roads, and health facilities connect water to every household and launch more development projects that will change the face of the county.”
He rallied the people of Kakamega to elect Mr Barasa so that the county remains an ODM stronghold and on the development path.
In Mombasa County, the razzmatazz that accompanies elections is completely lacking, but the stakes remain high as whichever party wins the cosmopolitan county will increase its clout in the city and national politics.
Instructively, Monday’s election has been fashioned as one between Dr Ruto and Mr Odinga.
The contested Ruto’s presidential win in the August 9 General Election has sustained UDA’s campaigns. The county is seen as Mr Odinga’s and ODM’s bedrock.
UDA says the area needs a break from the past, accusing ODM candidate Abdulswamad Nassir of not being his own man, given the way ODM big shots have been campaigning for him.
Deputy President-elect Rigathi Gachagua on Thursday said the seat is crucial for the control of Mombasa politics, adding that UDA will not allow ODM to suppress their candidate’s chances.
In a meeting with the Gikuyu, Embu and Meru Association (Gema) in Mombasa, Mr Gachagua said UDA is partly banking on the cosmopolitan nature of the county to deliver victory to Mr Hassan Omar and UDA.
“As Gema, we need to support our UDA candidate... We must have a stake in the Mombasa government because our votes are many.”
By Kennedy Kimanthi, Shaban Makokha, Winnie Atieno and Oscar Kakai.
