The One Kenya Alliance principals will Friday take their vote hunt mission to Kakamega.
ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi will host co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya) and Kanu’s Gideon Moi in Kakamega town, where they will be attending the Western delegates conference at the Kakamega Golf Hotel.
ANC and Ford Kenya delegates will be drawn from Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia and Vihiga counties.
“After the conference, the whole team will head for a rally in the town to assure our supporters that all is well and they should not be hoodwinked by the two horse-race narrative being peddled around by Oka opponents,” Lugari MP Ayub Savula said.
He said United Democratic Party leader Cyrus Jirongo will be part of the entourage.
The visit comes one week after Deputy President William Ruto toured the county last Friday and Saturday to popularise his bottom-up economic model and market UDA.
The meeting will also be used to showcase the unity of the alliance and appraise the delegates on the progress of Oka.
“The conference will also be used to take the delegates through the methods that will be used to pick the Oka flag bearer. We want the people to buy in because you can’t go to a negotiating table when your party officials have not bought into what you are doing,” a close ally of Mudavadi said.
“The presence of Jirongo is a pointer that Luhya leaders are finally pulling in the same direction to consolidate the region’s vote bloc into one basket on August 9, 2022, General Election,” he added.
A month ago, Jirongo announced he was working towards uniting Luhya leaders to rally behind a single presidential candidate to increase the chances of the community’s ascension to power.
Savula said Kalonzo will be accompanied by Kamba leaders.
Mudavadi will use the tour to assure his supporters of his resolve to be on the ballot next year.
Mudavadi has ordered brand new campaign Land Rovers, set up a presidential secretariat and named Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja as his chief campaigner for his presidential bid.
In yet another sign of his determination to energise his bid, the former vice president has hired top consultants to help set up a 24-hour call centre in a secret and secure location.
There have been reports that he is under pressure to back down and support ODM leader Raila Odinga for the presidency.
Oka leaders met in Nairobi on Wednesday to agree on a strategy to revamp their campaigns and avoid playing catch-up to the other formations.
Edited by A.N
