Migori Governor Ochillo Ayacko has said he is open to working with President William Ruto to develop the county.
Ayacko said despite being in Azimio, not Ruto's Kenya Kwanza, he will warm up to the President, especially if he tours Migori.
Ayacko was speaking during a morning show at Mayienga FM on Friday.
Ayacko said if Ruto comes to the county for a religious or development function, he himself will attend for sake of voters who are tax-paying Kenyans.
“Right now, we are doing the politics of development and if Ruto comes for prayers and I am available, I will be there. In life everything happens under God’s plan,” Ayacko said.
“Ruto is free and welcome to come to Migori at any time, and if he comes for development then I will receive him as national and county government are interdependent and should cooperate,” he said.
He said he and Migori voters will still seek political direction from Raila. "Right now, however, all Kenyans who pay taxes are thinking of is service delivery, away from politics and voting patterns."
Despite ODM dominating cosmopolitan Migori county by taking all county seats, two out of eight constituencies in the minority Kuria community elected UDA members.
Ayacko and Senator Eddy Oketch were elected on ODM tickets while Woman Representative Fatuma Mohammed, an independent, has aligned herself with Raila.
Kuria East and Kuria West constituencies elected UDA legislators Marwa Kitayama and Mathias Robi, respectively, from the minority Kuria tribe. All other six constituencies elected ODM legislators.
Despite differences, Ayacko said they have closed ranks as elected leaders in Migori and will move as a team in seeking development.
“Next week we have planned as Migori elected leaders to seek help from the national government on completion of several tarmac roads, which shows we are open,” he said.
He said that in the 2027 general election, though, they will seek direction from Raila.
On October 2, Ruto visited Homa Bay county next door, a meeting that was shunned by a Governor Gladys Wanga and other county elected leaders but attended by Ruto's Nyanza point men.
The meeting was also attended by former Migori governor Okoth Obado, who was Ayacko's political nemesis and Ruto’s Nyanza campaign point man. Their division will raise tension if the two ever share a platform.
-Edited by SKanyara
