Inside Azimio, Kenya Kwanza plans for high voter turnout
Kenyans will elect their next crop of leaders on Tuesday.
Azimio la Umoja One Kenya and Kenya Kwanza Alliance have instructed their grassroots officials to take charge of voter mobilisation in each of the 46,229 polling stations in a strategy referred to as ‘adopt-a-polling-station’.
The two formations have also instructed their candidates for governor, senator, woman rep, MP and county assembly positions to deploy their machineries and networks to mop up voters in a new battle for high turnout on Tuesday. Counties like Kisumu have ordered for closure of bars and other entertainment joints until after voting in a push to ramp up numbers in the region. Other regions are also encouraging service providers like shopkeepers and boda boda riders to only attend to those who have cast their ballot.
Strategists of both Deputy President William Ruto and his main rival, Raila Odinga, believe the polls will be won on high turnout in respective bastions. ODM chairman John Mbadi yesterday revealed that Mr Odinga had instructed him to coordinate adoption of polling stations by party officials in Nyanza.
Mr Mbadi said some of the party luminaries had been withdrawn from the national campaign to focus on firing up the traditional bases for high voter turnout. He led a team that visited nearly all the constituencies in Luo Nyanza to rally them to turn out in large numbers and, besides Raila, vote for ODM candidates.
National campaigns
“Three weeks ago the party leader asked me to withdraw from the national campaigns and retreat to Luo Nyanza counties. We have to fired and energised our base for a high turnout,” said Mr Mbadi. “Each county is working on adopt a polling station. We have recruited agents to ensure everyone is mobilised to vote for our candidate,” he added.
Mr Odinga’s head of campaigns Ndiritu Muriithi said the coalition was making passionate appeal to make their supporters turn out and vote.
“We have told all our candidates to appeal to their supporters. It is their right and responsibility to vote. We are telling them that bad leaders are elected by you not voting,” the Laikipia governor said. “The social pressure to have people vote before they can have services is encouraged.”
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) secretary general Veronica Maina said they had appealed to their candidates and supporters to assist the elderly and the sick to get to the polls.
“We expect our candidates to use their grassroots networks to ensure everyone in their regions turn up and cast their votes. We are also asking Kenyans to work closely with their neighbours in ensuring everyone votes,” said Ms Maina.
She said they were also keen on ensuring state machinery is not deployed to occasion tension with an aim of suppressing turnout.
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa said this election’s turnout to be higher than 2017’s. “In western, we have told them the 70 per cent target for western is not for Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula but for the region to form the next government,” he said.
“Our plan is more superior to what our opponents are doing by using the assistant chiefs. Those disfranchised will be ferried to polling stations.”
Mr Odinga is targeting high turnout in his Nyanza, Western and Coast traditional bastions to attain the required 50 per cent plus one vote for a round one win. He has since launched Rauka Movement to mobilise voters to wake up early and vote overwhelmingly for the coalition. Nyanza counties of Kisumu, Siaya, Migori and Homa Bay, Kisii and Nyamira have a combined vote basket of 3.12 million, while the six coastal counties have 1.96 million registered voters.
Ukambani counties of Kitui, Makueni and Machakos, which Mr Odinga expects Wiper leader Kalonzo to deliver has 1.69 million voters, while Western counties have a combined vote of 2.61 million. The three regions overwhelming backed Mr Odinga in the 2013 and 2017 polls.
“As you go to the ballot next week, you should carry along those who are sick, the disabled and the youth to ensure everyone participates in their democratic right. You should confirm people who have voted on August 9 by checking their fingers,” Mr Odinga told his Nyanza supporters.
Similarly, DP Ruto schemes to have the 2.2 million voters in Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Kericho and Bomet to turn up in large numbers. A high voter turnout in the Gema counties that include Nakuru and Laikipia in Rift Valley will boost the DP’s chances of winning. The region has 5.7 million votes.
Rift Valley and Mt Kenya handed President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP Ruto a win in 2013 and 2017. The DP overwhelming support in the regions to replicate the wins. Any form of voter apathy will spell doom for his chances. “We have another opportunity to form the next government and for this to happen, let us have a 100 per cent turnout on election day,” the DP Ruto told his Rift Valley backyard.
