Raila in Nyandarua in bid to woo mountain as 2022 race hots up

ODM leader Raila Odinga on Saturday took his campaign to Nyandarua county to mobilise support for his 2022 presidential bid.

He began the tour at Soko Mjinga Flyover.

Addressing residents, he took a hit at Deputy President William Ruto, asking the crowd if they wanted to push wheelbarrows.

"Unataka kusukuma wheelbarrow? (do you want to push wheelbarrows?)" he said.

The wheelbarrow is associated with Ruto's UDA.

Raila is accompanied in Nyandarua by a host of Mt Kenya leaders among them governors, MPs, senators as well as grassroots leaders.

They include Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru), Francis Kimemia (Nyandarua), James Nyoro (Kiambu) and Ndiritu Mureithi (Laikipia).

Key President Uhuru Kenyatta’s allies in Mt Kenya including former Presidential candidate Peter Kenneth, MPs Maina Kamanda (Nominated), and Kanini Kega (Kieni) are also expected to accompany him.

Several artists from the region including Ben Githae, Sarafina Salim, and Jose Gatutura will perform during the tour.

On Saturday, Raila defended his pledge to allocate unemployed youths Sh6,000 monthly.

"Those who ask where the money will come from... I know where the money is," he said.

In the last two months, Raila has visited Mt Kenya counties in the company of at least seven of the 10 governors.

Nyandarua's Kimemia will be the host and a number of county leadership has been invited to accompany him.

The campaign trail will snake through flyover, Kwa Haraka, Njabini (Dedan Kimathi centre) to colonial villages where he will address his supporters.

The tour, billed as part of Raila’s scheme to win over Uhuru’s support base, will also take him to Ol Joro Orok where the ODM boss will hold a consultative meeting with the area leaders.