ODM leader Raila Odinga has begun a five-day tour of the Coast region in Taita Taveta to popularise the BBI days after the six coastal assemblies passed the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
The former Prime Minister is keen to stifle Deputy President William Ruto's attempts to make forays in the region ahead of a referendum and 2022 elections. The DP has been trying to woo residents to back his bid.
Raila will hold closed-door meetings with local leaders on Monday evening before holding a series of meet-the-people rallies to popularise the BBI in Mwatate and Voi on Tuesday.
“He will hold an open rally in Mwatate town and later open the newly built classes at Mwakinyungu Primary School in Rong’e,” Mwatate MP Andrew Mwadime said on Monday.
He will further make an extensive tour of Mbololo and Voi town before departing for Kilifi on Tuesday evening.
Mwadime said the tour is geared towards consolidating support for the opposition leader in the region and taming Ruto’s infiltration. The area is perceived as an ODM stronghold.
Where as Raila boasts of continued support in the county, the influence of DP Ruto has been rising, with his Tangatanga politics being popularised by his vocal point person and woman representative Lydia Haika.
Recently, Ruto has been holding meetings with different delegates from the Coast at his Taveta farm, a move that has sent shockwaves through ODM.
He also enjoys the support of former Governor John Mruttu and former Senator Dan Mwazo.
A source privy to Tangatanga’s plot to claim the county’s control revealed that Ruto is courting Mruttu to face incumbent Governor Granton Samboja in the 2022 gubernatorial race on a UDA ticket.
Mwazo, who lost in the 2017 gubernatorial race, is fronted to clinch back the Voi constituency seat.
On the other hand, Governor Samboja seems to have found solace in Raila Odinga’s side where he enjoys a lot of support.
Last year, he hosted Raila at his Mwakishimba home in Wundanyi before holding a series of rallies. He is now considered Raila’s confidant and seeks to help maintain ODM grip on the region.
“Samboja is now playing his cards close to that of Raila, he does not want to miss out on the script. Hosting his coastal counterparts to strategise on revamping the economic bloc last month placed him atop the leadership of the region,” political analyst Waki Jarongo said.
Waki says Raila is now plotting to use the new friendship to pull together his lieutenants.
However, the AU high representative for infrastructure development is facing an uphill task to have his party consolidate its support. A section of ODM allied lawmakers and governors are pushing for the formation of a regional political party.
The leaders, led by Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, have been agitating for the region to chart its own path with a regional party pointing out that time was ripe for the region to take part in national politics.
Nevertheless, the agitation is suffering a slow puncture as Kingi has publicly differed with his Mombasa counterpart Hassan Joho who has declared interest to contest for the presidency on an ODM ticket. Joho is the ODM’s deputy party leader.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
