• Raila started the conventions in Turkana last Friday where he pitched camp for three days.
•Sifuna said Raila and his brigade have lined up a series of major meetings, rallies and tours to firm up and unify his traditional turf in coming days.
Image: ODM
ODM leader Raila Odinga is campaigning aggressively to consolidate his traditional turf as he aims for yet another stab at the presidency in 2022.
Raila has undertaken a series of engagements in his bastions in his intricate strategy to unify his traditional the bases and ward off Deputy President William Ruto’s influence.
On Monday, the former Prime Minister will chair a mega meeting of elected leaders, councils of elders, professionals and businesspeople from Kisumu, Homa Bay, Siaya and Migori counties.
More than 1,000 delegates are expected at the meeting at Ciala Resort in Kisumu.
“It is expected each county delegation shall consist of no more than 200 people,” ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna said in an invitation to all governors, MPs, senators, MCAs and ODM coordinating committee members.
The counties are Raila’s political strongholds.
Their residents have voted for him almost to a man since 1997 when he first ran for president.
The meeting comes at a time when Raila, who is an AU special envoy, and his handshake partner President Uhuru Kenyatta, are persuading county assemblies to pass the Building Bridges Initiative Bill.
Already, the Siaya assembly in Raila home county, has approved the Bill – the first in the country – with Kisumu and Homa Bay expected to endorse the document on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.
Migori is expected to approve the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020 later in the week, demonstrating Raila’s firm political grip on the region.
The Bill must be passed by at least 24 of 47 county assemblies before going to Parliament for approval, then to a referendum.
The Star has established the former Prime Minister has lined up a series of similar meetings with grassroots and elected leaders, professionals, and youth and women groups countrywide.
In rallies, Raila and his party are seeking new allies as they seek to stamp their authority on regions ahead of the epic duel for State House in 2022.
“We are going to meet leaders from various regions. We will be giving schedules,” Sifuna said.
Raila launched the conventions in Turkana last Friday where he pitched camp for three days.
He met party officials, youth and women's groups.
He held a rally at Lodwar's Baraza Park and another one at Loima on Friday.
On Saturday, he held meetings at Kakuma and Katulu in Turkana North. Raila attended a church service at the Catholic Cathedral in Lodwar town.
Though Raila has largely kept off the 2022 debate and instead promoted BBI, his foot soldiers – including Jubilee’s Maina Kamanda – left no doubt that he has kicked off activities for the 2022 General Elections.
“We don’t want to talk about 2022 now because we don’t want to mix issues. But if there is anybody who thinks that Raila can be in this politics to make Kenya a better country, only for someone else to come and run it, that person should go to Mathare Mental Hospital,” Alego Usonga MP Sam Atandi said.
In his charm offensive in Turkana, Raila denounced his presumptive 2022 presidential rival, DP Ruto, as a liar who opposes reforms and told residents to shun him.
“…… Mr Six Months. They promised a digital economy. That within six months, every child will have a laptop. Have you seen the laptops here in Kakuma?
“They said they will build state-of-the-art stadiums in every county. ….They said very year they will be generating one million jobs…modern employment. Now they are forgetting what they promised youths and they are coming up with wheelbarrows,” he said in Kakuma on Saturday.
Ruto is known for distributing start-up tools for small businesses in carpentry, construction, tailoring, hair dressing and other fields. The wheelbarrow is a symbol of his hustler, go-getter nation slogan. He also gives out money to boda boda groups and others.
Raila appeared to have won a new foot soldier in Petroleum and Mining CS John Munyes to fill the void left by former ODM deputy party leader Governor Josphat Nanok.
The CS received Raila in Lodwar Town and apparently was part of the team that planned and aggressively mobilised crowds for Raila. He accompanied the ODM boss to all his meetings.
Nanok, who has shifted his allegiance to the DP, and Munyes are longstanding political rivals. In 2017, Nanok defeated the CS to retain his seat.
Sifuna confirmed the meetings in Turkana were part of the engagements that Raila has lined up in the coming days.
“Turkana meeting is part of the engagements that we have lined up. Tomorrow [Monday]we will be in Kisumu before we release another schedule,” Sifuna said.
The Star has established Raila and his brigade will head to Nairobi on Wednesday after Kisumu for similar meetings.
“Nairobi is next. On Wednesday, February 10, ODM and Jubilee delegates will meet in Nairobi county,” a senior ODM official told the Star.
Western, Coast and Northeastern will be next in Raila’s whirlwind tours expected to end next month – just before the onset of the official BBI referendum campaigns.
Raila’s grip on his traditional support bases has come under threat, with DP Ruto making forays to neutralise his influence.
Particularly, Ruto appears to have trained his sights on uprooting Raila at the Coast and Western, which have overwhelmingly voted for the former Prime Minister since 2007.
Atthe Coast, Ruto demonstrated his inroads with the victory over ODM of an independent candidate – Feisal Bader – whom he backed in the Msambweni by-election.
Ruto has persuaded Raila’s close allies from the area, including firebrand Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa and Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya, to shift to his camp.
In the last three days, the DP camped in the region, meeting leaders and ‘empowering’ youth and women groups as he intensified his relentless efforts to dislodge Raila.
(Edited by V. Graham)