Ruto team woos Western, asks locals to reject Raila
The battle for the Western vote continued to intensify yesterday as leaders of the ‘Kenya Kwanza’ Alliance pitched the tent in the region.
Deputy President William Ruto, Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford-Kenya counterpart Moses Wetangula took their campaigns to Busia county where they asked residents to reject Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga.
The trio accompanied by MPs and other leaders from across the country allied to UDA, ANC and Ford-K held similar events in Vihiga county on Sunday and will camp in Kakamega today.
Ruto, Mudavadi and Wetangula insisted that the ODM leader was a State Project “that was bound to fail like in 2002.”
They said they would soldier on and work as a team to ensure they emerged victoriously. “We are a team and it does not matter who will be the President, his deputy, number three or four among us. What is important is clinching the victory that will offer us an opportunity to transform the lives of our people, especially the poor Kenyans,” said Ruto.
In a thin-veiled attack on President Uhuru Kenyatta, Ruto said they were determined to end the culture of “dynasty” in the country. “Our country has been held hostage by a clique of people who think they can always sit in some room and decide for the millions of Kenyans. This will end on August 9,” Ruto said.
Wise decision
The trio said they were bound together by similar ideals and would work as a team until and after the upcoming General Election.
Mudavadi explained to the crowd his move to join forces with Ruto, maintaining that he is certain he had made a wise decision. “I am wondering why our opponents who demean us are complaining loudest after we decided to work with Ruto. Why can’t they ignore us if we do not have any political impact? asked Mudavadi.
Mudavadi and Wetangula expressed optimism that members of the Luhya nation and other residents of the Western region would vote in their direction as a bloc.
Wetangula said Luhyas had voted for Raila several times but got nothing in return. He said the Handshake between Uhuru and Raila only benefits their home turfs. “Raila does not have the interests of Luhyas at heart. He only comes for our votes then uses them to negotiate for deals that favour his community,” the Bungoma Senator said.
He added: “That is what he did when he briefly joined Kanu, then in the Grand Coalition Government and now Handshake. He and his allies are surprised that we have opened our eyes and become wiser at long last.” Ruto said they would not condone rigging and rallied supporters to cast the ballots and guard them.
He said he was proud of his performance as Deputy President and highlighted the various development initiatives he had launched in the Western region and other parts of the country. “We were doing very well with the President before this devil called Handshake interfered. But I am still proud of my achievements.”
Not a crime
The leaders addressed meetings in Busia town, Bumala, Nambale and Ogalo markets, plus several other whistle-stops.
At some stops, sections of crowds broke into chants demanding a Mudavadi presidency. While they spoke, ODM and allies held a meeting in Kakamega where they hit out at the ‘Kenya Kwanza’ alliance.
Governor Wycliffe Oparanya dismissed the alliance as headed nowhere. “I heard that group calling itself Kenya Kwanza claiming that Raila is a State Project. That is interesting because our leader has vied four times and his victory was stolen twice,” said Oparanya. “He does not, thus, need to be anybody’s project to win in the August elections,” he added.
Oparanya said it was not a crime for Uhuru to back Raila’s bid.
The ‘Kenya Kwanza Alliance will today camp in Kakamega where they will address rallies at Sigalagala, Khayega and Shinyalu markets and Kakamega town.
