Deputy President William Ruto has asked voters in Western to reject Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party presidential candidate Raila Odinga, accusing him of neglecting the region.
Dr Ruto, who said the region would determine the winner of the August 9 presidential race, challenged Mr Odinga to tell voters what he had done for them in return for supporting him in past elections.
Dr Ruto and Mr Odinga have in the recent past been making frequent forays into the region as the fight for its 2.2 million votes intensifies.
“Western Kenya will decide the outcome of the coming election. I am pleading with voters, to let us cooperate,” he said.
Dr Ruto’s tour of the region comes at a time opinion polls have ranked Mr Odinga as leading in Western, albeit below the 50 per cent mark, with the DP trailing at 30 per cent.
70 per cent of region’s vote
The Kenya Kwanza Alliance (KKA), which the Deputy President leads, has tasked its principals from Western to deliver 70 per cent of the region’s vote as part of an agreement Dr Ruto signed with their leaders.
Last week, Mr Odinga made a two-day political tour of the region, during which Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said the Azimio camp had held 36 campaign rallies there.
Yesterday, Dr Ruto asked voters in Vihiga County to reject the Azimio leader. He was accompanied by Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula, who asked the Luhya community to turn out in large numbers “to teach Mr Odinga a lesson”. Dr Ruto said he had been to the region several times and had launched key government projects. In Mbale, Dr Ruto said Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi was in the US representing the KKA team at a crucial meeting.
“We want to journey together with Western. [Our rivals] do not have your interests at heart,” he added. “We in Kenya Kwanza intend to reduce the cost of living because many people are struggling. Prices of essential commodities have gone up. We want to empower our farmers so that we produce enough food,” said Dr Ruto.
Mr Wetang’ula said: “We are urging our people to turn out in large numbers to vote in favour of Kenya Kwanza so that we teach Raila a lesson that we are cleverer than before.”
Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi said he had no doubt that the region was behind KKA, adding that his Coast backyard had resolved to abandon Mr Odinga and “walk this journey with Ruto”. In Kakamega, Dr Ruto told voters not gamble by voting for Mr Odinga since he had nothing to offer the region.
Dr Ruto began his campaign tour of the region on Monday, a day after Mr Odinga led the Azimio team on a two-day campaign in the region.
“Huyu mtu wa vitendawili hana kitu. Hata ako na deni ya Mumias. Alienda Mumias juzi na badala ya kuanzisha kiwanda akaleta moshi [Raila has nothing to offer the region. He visited Mumias sugar factory the other day and instead of explaining how the miller would be revived, he asked the management to start a fire so that people could see smoke coming from the chimneys],” Dr Ruto claimed.
At Sabane market in Ikolomani Constituency, Dr Ruto said that, unlike Mr Odinga, he had toured the region many times since the 2017 polls to launch key development projects, including commissioning of tarmac roads and ensuring more rural homes were connected to electricity.
The DP said he had launched construction of seven technical training colleges in Likuyani, Lugari, Mumias East, Mumias West, Navakholo, Khwisero and Ikolomani to address the region’s development needs.
Governor Kingi said Mr Odinga had been compromised after the March 2018 “Handshake” deal with President Kenyatta.
“We, the people of Coast region, have decided to part ways with Mr Odinga since he has failed to raise the issue of the 30,000 acres of land that was to be allocated to the people of Taita-Taveta. We have decided to support Dr Ruto because he has stood with us,” said Mr Kingi.
Mr Wetang’ula said residents in Western would benefit from revival of collapsed factories and construction of new ones if Dr Ruto wins the August 9 polls.
“Raila should know that we do not owe him any debt. The time has come for him to repay the support we gave him in past elections. After his Handshake deal with President Kenyatta, Mr Odinga abandoned us and focused on development in Nyanza region,” said Mr Wetang’ula.
Laikipia woman representative Cate Waiguru and Starehe MP Chrales Jaguar said Mr Odinga was unfit to lead the country.
