- “Since you gave me a shield and a spear to fight for your interests nationally, I will need you on my back as your brother in the wall,” Raila said.
- The Kuria community in Migori accounts for about 25 per cent of county's population, against the majority Luo community.
Image: RAILA ODINGA/TWITTER
ODM leader Raila Odinga has asked the Kuria community to back his State House bid saying he will ensure they land state jobs.
"I am one of you, your brother but when it comes to polls you vote for others and still come and cry to me. In the coming polls I want us to stay together," Raila said.
The ODM leader spoke on Friday at Kehancha stadium in Kuria West during the burial of former Nigerian High Commissioner Wilfred Machage.
On January 20, the community elders installed Raila as an elder.
“Since you gave me a shield and a spear to fight for your interests nationally, I will need you on my back as your brother in the wall,” Raila said.
The Kuria community in Migori accounts for about 25 per cent of county's population, against the majority Luo community.
Machage served for two terms as a Kuria legislator before he was elected as the first senator in 2013.
His election was as a result of a negotiated democracy initiated by Raila between the Kuria and Luo communities.
Out of the four county seats, the Kuria community had Machage as senator, woman representative Dennitah Ghati and Deputy Governor Mwita Mahanga.
The only Luo who was elected was Governor Okoth Obado.
Raila said some seats still went to the rivals and as a result they could not be accommodated.
“However, I promise to address the main issues in Kuria once elected,” he said.
The ODM leader said in the Building Bridges Initiative they proposed Ward Development Fund and added more money to devolved units.
He said the money is to take care of minority tribes like Kuria, despite not proposing any additional county.
“Apart from Kuria we have other minority tribes like Tharaka, Mbeere, Sabaot and Teso and we will address them adequately when elected,” he said.
Nominated MP Dennitah Ghati said as Kuria community they will throw their weight behind Raila as he will serve the interests of the community.
Ghati's sentiments were shared by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho who said as a Muslims they are a minority but have a voice under ODM.
He said the community should work closely with the party and Raila in the next polls.
Others who attended the funeral included Mukhisa Kituyi, Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, Kisii Governor James Ongwae, and Speaker Justin Muturi.
In the last election, President Uhuru Kenyatta garnered 41,951 votes (65 per cent of the cast votes) while Raila got 21,202 votes (34 per cent) in Kuria.
In the repeat poll, Uhuru won in both constituencies with 19,587 votes in Kuria West and Raila got 214 votes.
Uhuru also won in Kuria East with 13,156 votes followed by Raila who got 180 votes.
In the 2013 general elections, Raila tried a negotiated democracy between the Kuria and Luo communities but it flopped on the ballot.
A similar move was rejected by both communities in the 2017 election.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)