Raila turns attention to Ndhiwa by-election

Thursday, September 13, 2012 - 00:00 -- BY JUSTUS OCHIENG
Prime Minister Raila Odinga offers his suport to Mr. Antony Kangethe (2nd left)the ODM Candidate for Kinoo Ward by election during breakfast meeting with Kiambu County leaders at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, With him are Hon. Mumbi Ngaru mem
Prime Minister Raila Odinga offers his support to Antony Kangethe (2nd left)the ODM Candidate for Kinoo Ward by election during breakfast meeting with Kiambu County leaders at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi on Tuesday, With him are Mumbi Ngaru member of EALA(left) and Mbugua Wa Marion the former Mayor Nairobi City Council.Photo/PMPS

PRIME Minister Raila Odinga yesterday canceled a forum of leaders from Western province to campaign for the ODM candidate in the Ndhiwa by-election. The forum was scheduled for this Saturday at the Golf Hotel in Kakamega. “The Western Province Leaders' Forum scheduled for Saturday has been postponed,” read a communication from Raila’s campaign secretariat.

The Prime Minister will instead head to Ndhiwa to campaign for Augustino Neto. Multiple sources within the ODM party confided to the Star that the cancellation of the forum was informed by the move by rival leaders to pitch tent in Ndhiwa to campaign for their candidates. ODM officials in the area are concerned by the "massive support" their opponents are receiving from their party leaders.

The September 17 by-election has attracted candidates from ODM, Kanu and TNA. Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta was in Ndhiwa on Tuesday. He held a series of rallies to campaign for TNA's Rosemary Rumo. Today, Kanu chairman Gideon Moi and secretary General Nick Salat will lead a team of the party's NEC members to campaign for their candidate Tom Alila.

“We will traverse the constituency and address rallies in Ndhiwa centre, Ratanga and Kabuoch. We will also make several stopovers and address roadside rallies,” Alila said in a press conference at a Kisumu Hotel yesterday. Alila’s campaigns received a boost after a section of losers in the ODM nominations vowed to support him. However, ODM leaders in the area have said the Saturday campaign by the Prime Minister “will seal the deal” and handover the seat to Neto. Saturday will be the IEBC’s last day for the campaigns before the by-election to be held on Monday September 17.