Deputy President William Ruto has cancelled a rally he was scheduled to address in Busia on Thursday.
The DP was expected at the border county on Thursday where he was to address a rally in Simba Chai in the Teso South sub-county.
The cancellation came as ODM leader Raila Odinga’s lieutenants in Busia finalised plans for the visit of the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Alliance leader at the border county on Thursday.
On Wednesday UDA national vice treasurer Mary Emase told the Star Ruto’s rally was put off “for the sake of peace”.
Emase accused the Azimio La Umoja team of “interfering” with the DPs political events.
If the DP had attended Thursday’s rally in Simba Chai, the rally would have clashed with Raila’s similar event at Amukura also in Teso South sub-county.
“We cannot hold that rally because those people want to interfere with our programmes,” Emase told the Star on the phone.
“Hiyo ni kutuchokoza (That amounts to disturbing us). They knew very well that our rally was in Simba Chai and they went ahead to organise theirs in Amukura which is very close to Simba Chai.”
Though allies say the rally was postponed for the sake of peace, the DP is on Thursday expected to attend a prayer breakfast meeting in Nairobi.
She, however, said the DP may fly to Busia on Friday where he will meet Kenya Kwanza leaders and supporters in Ang’urai in Teso North sub-county.
“We are thinking of scheduling DP’s tour for Friday. But that is tentative, we can cancel the visit altogether and have it on a later date.”
She said despite Ruto’s absence this week in Busia, other Kenya Kwanza leaders drawn from the national as well as county levels will continue popularizing Ruto’s Bottom-Up Economic model.
As Emase was speaking to the Star, the Azimio La Umoja Busia team was meeting in Busia town to cement arrangements for Raila’s visit on Thursday.
According to a tentative programme seen by the Star, Raila will land in Butula Youth Polytechnic where he will hold a consultative meeting with Azimio La Umoja allied leaders in the county after which he will proceed to Amukura where he will address a rally.
From Amukura, the former Prime Minister will cruise to Busia town where he will address a rally at 3 pm.
Ruto was expected to begin his visit to Busia on Tuesday by addressing a rally at Ang’urai market.
He was to return on Wednesday where he was scheduled to address another rally at Matayos at 3 pm before holding a similar gathering on Thursday at Simba Chai.
Busia ODM gubernatorial aspirant Paul Otuoma told reporters on Wednesday that all was set for Raila's visit.
He called on residents in the border county to tuen out in large numbers to welcome the former Langata MP.
