Ruto, Mudavadi to c*mmence countrywide rallies in Nakuru
By Jeremiah Kiplang’at and Noah Cheploen
Deputy President William Ruto, Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford-Kenya counterpart Moses Wetangula will use the planned rallies across the country to explain to their supporters why they have agreed to work together ahead of the August elections.
The trio, who will grace the rallies start in Nakuru today, seek to test the ground as they prepare to formalise the coalition after agreeing to form an alliance at Bomas of Kenya last Sunday.
Speaking to the People Daily, the parties’ senior officials confirmed the three will be in Nakuru today for a symbolic commencement of their partnership before heading to Bungoma on Friday and then Kirinyaga on Saturday.
Before landing in Nakuru, the bigwigs will address a meet-the-people tour in Eldama Ravine. There is also a planned joint meeting to be held in Mombasa although a date is yet to be given.
Bungoma has been chosen as the first stop for the new alliance in Western because of Ford-Kenya’s perceived popularity in the area and the inroads the DP has made in the area in recent years following frequent visits.
In Kirinyaga, Governor Anne Waiguru, whose stature has risen significantly in UDA since she rejoined the party last year, will host the leaders. Waiguru was among the leaders who spoke at Bomas.
The officials said the preliminary engagements will mostly revolve around telling their supporters why they had agreed to enter into a coalition and what agenda they are going to pursue together.
UDA Chairman Johnstone Muthama said their main interest was to unite all Kenyans without looking at their tribes or economic status.
“The agenda we are taking to the people is that we are pursuing unity among all Kenyans. Our message will be on unity as we prepare for the coming elections,” Muthama told People Daily.
He confirmed the three principals will be in attendance. Ford Kenya Organizing Secretary Chris Mandu Mandu said it will be a bonding session between the leaders and their supporters.
“These will be bonding rallies. They are to tell our supporters why we have agreed to form a coalition with our partners,” said Yesterday, Ford Kenya also held a parliamentary group meeting chaired by Wetangula to look into the proposed coalition with UDA.
Party MPs who attended the meeting approved the pursuit for a working partnership with UDA. “The MPs approved the formation of a coalition with UDA and other partners,” Mandu said.
Separately, the ANC leader also chaired his party’s parliamentary group meeting where they resolved to push for partnerships with UDA and other parties.
The MPs who attended the meeting said they had asked Mudavadi to make sure he was on the presidential ballot in August saying they encouraged him to find more partners to support his cause.
Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba said among the resolutions they reached was to continue supporting Mudavadi’s bid for presidency.
“At the National Delegates meeting last weekend, our party leader was given the mandate to look for friends to partner with in his journey to the State House. Let it be known that as a party we have agreed that Mudavadi is going for nothing less than the presidency,” he said.
The MP said they still believed the ANC leader had not abandoned his ambitions to support Ruto’s presidential bid. “In this course, we are looking for more friends to join and support us.
Musalia Mudavadi remains our party’s presidential candidate for the August elections and we have presented him to Kenyans and nothing is going to stop that,” said Milemba.
In Nakuru, leaders from the three parties inspected the ASK Showground ahead of today’s rally. Led by Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika, Governor Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu) and MPs David Gikaria (Nakuru East), Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati), Oscar Sudi (Kapseret), the leaders hailed the duo’s proposed economic model of Bottom Up Approach and Pesa Mkononi (wealth creation) as the best way to take the country to the next level.
“We came here to make sure everything is in order,” she said.
