ODM rivalry dominates Raila rally
A supremacy battle pitting two frontline ODM aspirants for Mombasa governorship, Abdulswamad Nassir and Suleiman Shahbal, took centre stage as the Raila Odinga-led Azimio La Umoja brigade thronged Tononoka Grounds for Day Two of their coastal tour yesterday.
Tension rocked the Tononoka rally as groups of youths were seen attacking each other with sticks as the Azimio leaders watched in dismay.
Raila had to intervene to quell the tension by embracing Nassir and Shahbal as members of his team and called for peace.
In a grim reminder of at times violent confrontations between governor Hassan Joho and his closest rival Hassan Omar Sarai in 2017, Raila raised the hands of both Nassir and Shahbal and declared both of them as key members of his team. He assured them that nominations will be free, fair and peaceful adding the runners up will remain a key member of ODM.
“When two bulls clash it’s the grass that suffers the heaviest. We don’t want to see our grass suffer. The nominations will be handled in a friendly way. There is no need for war. There is no need for youth coming with sticks in a rally. These are not enemies, they are just competitors,” Raila declared.
He asked whoever will lose in the nominations between Shahbal and Nassir to support the winner. “Both of them belong to ODM and Azimio. We don’t want to see supporters clashing,” Raila said as he raised Shahbal and Nassir’s hands in unison.
Earlier on, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna threatened to punish aspirants who exhibited unruly behavior in rallies by denying them the party ticket after nominations and asking them to ‘behave’.
On a mission to secure the close to 2 million vote basket, the ODM leader reiterated his mission to liberate the country’s economy as part of the third liberation.
Raila said Mombasa was the first capital of Kenya and said his government will ensure Mombasa Port becomes equivalent to Dubai and the upcoming Special Economic Zone (SEZ) becomes a free port.
Dismissed narrative
He dismissed the Deputy President William Ruto’s wheelbarrow narrative as impractical and unrealistic.
“We want to ensure that the economic growth is more than 10 percent per annum and liberate Kenya from poverty,” Raila said: “My government will pay keen attention to the challenges of SGR and ensure that they are rectified.”
Having served as Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila said he understands all the loopholes and leakages that destroy the country’s economy and he is determined to seal them. “Some of them are saying that Sh6,000 for social protection is impossible. I am saying I know all the holes from where they siphon the resources,” said Raila.
He dismissed the “project” tag as pointless saying both President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy Ruto were once his juniors while he was in government and therefore it is practically impossible for him to be anyone’s project.
“This man Ruto was my minister when I was the Prime Minister and employed him until he was involved in a maize scandal and I dismissed him... Uhuru was my junior too, is it possible for me to be his project? That is nonsense,” Raila told his supporters in the packed Tononoka grounds yesterday.
The ODM leader cautioned the public against falling prey to Ruto’s trap of empty promises and instead consider his “Safe hands” to form the next government. Kilifi Governorship aspirants Gideon Mung’aro and Jimmy Kahindi assured that Kilifi vote is locked for Raila saying the rival Kenya Kwanza movement has no chance in the county.
