Opposition leader Raila Odinga on Tuesday disappointed his followers when he failed to show up for a scheduled rally to drum up support for ODM candidate Chris Karan, three days before tomorrow's Ugenya by-election.
Raila's no-show prompted the last minute cancellation of the rally at Sega trading centre. The ODM leader was in Mombasa where he launched Huduma Namba registration at Shika Adabu.
“We expected Baba (Raila) to turn up for the last rally to add impetus to Karan’s support since his endorsement is honoured in the region,” said a local leader who chose to remain anonymous.
Last month, during the burial of senior chief David Owino Rakula in Ugenya, Raila said he would return to the region to campaign for Karan, saying he was above local politics. He delegated the job to local politicians like Siaya Senator James Orengo.
“I urge Ugenya people not to disappoint me by electing a different person rather than Karan,” he said, adding that Karan knew how to take care of himself.
The disappointment did not stop the candidate from making the final lap of the constituency wooing voters. He appealed for another opportunity to complete the projects he had started before his election was nullified after a long-drawn court battle with MDG candidate Dave Ochieng.
Ochieng was excited by Raila's no-show at the much-hyped Sega rally. He said he was confident of unseating Karan, now that Ugenya people had the opportunity to elect a leader of their choice without Raila's influence.
“Ugenya people will have the last say in this election by voting in a leader who will listen to their problems,” the candidate said during a rally at Siwar.
The MDG candidate had by Tuesday, when the campaigns ended, logged 23 rallies. He urged electorate to separate "wheat from chaff" by electing an individual, not the party.
The other candidates are Daniel Juma of GDDP and Brian Omondi of Third Alliance.
Meanwhile, police spokesperson Charles Owino assured voters of security both in and out of the polling stations. This followed a spate of violence over the weekend.
Owino said that strangers would not be allowed in the polling stations.
