ODM party leader Raila Odinga yesterday flew to Kisumu ahead of President Uhuru Kenyatta's visit.
He jetted in the county at 11 am and headed straight to his residence at Riat Hills.
President Uhuru is expected in the lakeside city from May 30 to lead the country in marking Madaraka Day celebrations.
During the tour, the President, accompanied by Raila, is expected to commission a number of development projects that have been ongoing following the handshake between the two in March 2018.
Raila's arrival in Kisumu ahead of the president's visit is meant to prepare the ground well in advance. It is in his interest and that of the Nyanza region to ensure the president is accorded a befitting reception.
The opposition chief's step is significant in trying to calm down political temperatures that had begun rising in his backyard following the setbacks suffered by the BBI that saw proponents of the reform process move to court to appeal against the verdict of the lower court that slammed breaks on the review journey.
Nyanza and most of Raila's support base have largely been in support of the process. Siaya county assembly, for example, was the first to pass the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
The BBI proposals were also unveiled to the public by Uhuru and Raila in Gusii Stadium in Kisii county, marking a significant step towards the realisation of constitutional amendments.
According to his handlers, Raila will use his weeklong stay in the lakeside city to get a brief on the progress of the preparations for the celebrations and lay the ground for Uhuru's visit.
He is expected to be briefed by Governor Anyang' Nyong'o, who is part of the committee coordinating preparations for the celebrations. The team is led by regional commissioner Magu Mutindika.
"He is the host and must be abreast of the happenings before the president lands in Kisumu," said a source privy to the preparations visit.
Raila is likely to be in the county until midweek when he is expected to start meeting leaders from different spheres, including clerics, elders, opinion leaders and politicians.
"He will have to meet with leaders beginning Wednesday. Until Wednesday, he will be at home, resting and monitoring the progress of the preparations," the source said.
The committee has been planning the event with support from the national team led by Interior PS Karanja Kibicho, who has literally pitched camp in Kisumu ahead of the celebrations.
Church leaders from Nyanza last week called upon residents and elected leaders to get ready to give the President a rousing welcome.
Bishop Washington Ogonyo Ngede, who is the chairman of the Nyanza Council of Churches, said all eyes will be on Kisumu and the region on how it will receive the President.
"We humbly request residents of Nyanza, particularly those in Kisumu county to warmly welcome his Excellency the President during his visit to officiate Madaraka Day celebrations," Ogonyo said.
He said welcoming the president overwhelmingly will be a sign that even serious investors are welcome.
"Such warm welcome will surely be reciprocated by a number of goodies that the head of state will be having for the region," he said.
He said the development projects already initiated by the national government are a good gesture.
"We further urge politicians to use friendly words while engaging their colleagues from the other political divide and avoid using abusive words," the clergyman appealed.
For the proponents of the BBI, this is a critical week when the courts begin to hear the appeal whose outcome will determine the fate of the constitutional review process.
Speaking at a funeral in Siaya on Saturday, Senator James Orengo said the country was headed for a crucial week. He said the country was hopeful that the process will be concluded to pave the way for a referendum.
Former assistant minister and MP for Muhoroni Ayiecho Olweny on Sunday said the region was grateful for the development projects initiated so far after the handshake.
"We still yearn for more and anticipate that the cooperation is nurtured so that the Nyanza region, which has suffered marginalisation in the past, can prosper," said Ayiecho, who is also the ODM party Kisumu county chairman.
Kisumu will soon begin enjoying the services of the rehabilitated railway line linking the region to Nakuru and Naivasha.
Uhuru is also expected to launch the rehabilitated Kisumu port that will open up the town for business opportunities. The port will connect East Africa through lake Victoria.
The president is also expected to commission the Uhuru Business Park, the new rail station at Kicomi, the Sh350 million Jomo Kenyatta Sports Ground and the rehabilitated Kisumu State Lodge, among other developments.
He will then proceed to Mbita where he will open a causeway and then come back to Kisumu for the Madaraka Day celebrations at the newly constructed Mamboleo Stadium.
Sh5 billion for the construction of the Mamboleo-Chemelil Road has been released by the National Treasury to the Kenya National Highway Authority through the Ministry of Transport to fast-track the completion of the project.
The road will unlock the business potential of Nyando sugar belt. Construction of the Kibuye secondhand market, which is the largest of its kind in the region, is ongoing to accommodate traders who, for decades, have been operating from an open-air market.
The development is happening at a time when the East Africa Breweries that had collapsed has been revived, giving hope to many sorghum farmers and a number of youths who were jobless an opportunity to earn a living.
The President is also expected to make major announcements touching on various sectors such as the sugar factories that struggling, and cotton and rice farming.
