Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga Tuesday exuded confidence of locking Coast votes by wooing new political partners to shut out Deputy President William Ruto, who has launched an aggressive campaign to penetrate the region.
Coast has been a predominantly pro-Odinga region and, buoyed by his camaraderie with President Uhuru Kenyatta courtesy of their March 9, 2018 truce, the former premier is keen to reconcile with local leaders who were previously hostile to his presidential bid.
Tuesday, Mr Odinga received defectors, with his campaigns getting a boost after seasoned politician and Taveta MP Naomi Shaban joined Azimio. Dr Shaban, who had opposed Mr Odinga in the last three elections, is President Kenyatta’s long-standing ally and a leading mobiliser for the Jubilee Party in the region.
Her move to join Azimio is being interpreted as tailored to tame the second-in-command’s popularity. Kaloleni MP Paul Katana also ditched Dr Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and joined the Azimio team.
“Our Taveta MP had strayed politically, but she is back home now and we are counting on her support to cement our coastal stronghold,” Mr Odinga said.
The battle is on for the region’s 1,953,52 votes, after 240,377 new voters were added to its list. Firmly behind Mr Odinga in the 2007, 2013 and 2017 election, Coast raised its numbers for Jubilee in 2017 to hit 258,000, up from 158,000 five years earlier when Mr Odinga polled 612,057 votes.
Dr Ruto is looking to double President Kenyatta’s 2017 performance at the expense of Mr Odinga, who still has a sway in the region. Yesterday, Mr Odinga spoke in Taveta in Taita Taveta County where he ended his four-day tour of the coast to galvanize what he sees as an important base in his presidential quest.
Mr Odinga said he was keen on the region uniting politically to ensure that the DP commands no influence. He said his administration will focus on delivering his campaign pledges to Kenyans.
The former prime minister pledged to grow the economy by double digits if he is elected President in the August 9 General Election.
“I will steer the country to an economic recovery trajectory, with an initial growth of at least 10 per cent,” he told his supporters in Voi and Taveta towns.
Support vulnerable groups
He added that he had an elaborate plan to ensure the welfare and comfort of citizens were guaranteed. In his government, the state will support vulnerable groups such as widows, single mothers, the elderly, students and the youth.
“These are programmes aimed at ending extreme poverty in Kenya. We have identified several potential sources of money to fund the welfare programmes. Key among them is running the corruption networks out of business,” he declared.
And, keen to secure a seat at the high table ahead of the 2022 polls, Coast bigwigs said Mr Odinga’s presidential bid gives them an opportunity to work as a block.
Tuesday, Dr Shaban said Azimio la Umoja wants to have as many parties as possible in its camp. She piled pressure on Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka to also join the coalition.
“[Mr Musyoka] should join us so that we have a formidable force. I have always been fighting Mr Odinga. This time round I ask that we support his candidature so that Coast residents are not left out in the political cold when the next government is formed,” Dr Shaban said.
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho said he will lead the region in identifying leaders to vote for in all the elective seats apart from the presidency.
“We know Mr Odinga’s capabilities and we want to leverage on that so that Coast people benefit from his government,” Mr Joho said.
Former Devolution Chief Administrative Secretary Gideon Mung’aro, who is vying for the Kilifi governor seat, said an Odinga win the coming election would pave the way for Coast leaders to also contest the presidency.
Taita Taveta Senator Jones Mwaruma said: “We will not allow the wheelbarrow movement [the UDA party symbol] in this region. We have 1.4 million acres of land that we can invest in to benefit our people. It is unfortunate that we have vast resources like minerals but they are not benefiting us,” he said.
Assert political authority
Mt Kenya leaders who accompanied Mr Odinga said today’s meeting at Sagana State Lodge in Nyeri hosted by President Kenyatta is a chance for him to assert his political authority after months of attacks from allies of Dr Ruto.
Former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, an ardent defender of the President, Tuesday said that an Odinga presidency would be Kenya’s “Mandela moment”.
He said those who thought the President was politically helpless were wrong. Gatanga MP Nduati Ngugi said the quest for new partners gives the Azimio coalition impetus to craft fresh line up for the sake of this year’s elections and craft new strategies of making inroads into hostile regions.
The legislator added that the UDA wave would eventually fade away. Kieni MP Kanini Kega said their campaigns for Mr Odinga have the blessings of the President and are aimed at securing the region’s position in the next government.
