ANDREW MARINGA: Raila came late but makes a lot of sense to Mt Kenya people

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga no doubt has made significant progress in climbing the mountain.

We see the ground has received him so well especially because he has demonstrated he is willing and ready to work with the people of Mt Kenya.

The people of Mt Kenya do not want handouts but someone they can work with. Raila has resonated to this expectation very well within a very short time.

For instance, if we focus on his entry into the mountain and the time it has taken for the people to embrace him, it is simply amazing, bearing in mind that he has not been very active in the Mt Kenya region.

But within the last three months he has stormed the region, he is making a lot of sense to the people.

The United Democratic Alliance is a small wave and is not grounded as people are being made to believe. People being attracted to the new outfit don’t grasp the real issues that influence the Mt Kenya votes.

Deputy President William Ruto’s UDA is not touching the real issues of the people of Central Kenya.

In Mt Kenya it is all about the agriculture and economic empowerment of the people.

If Raila focuses on youth empowerment in terms of Agriculture and local economics, he will have a bigger impact.

Again, UDA has no roots, unlike Raila who came in by addressing the elders and the owners of the capital that controls the economy of the region.

These owners of capital employ many people and this gives them big mileage with the workers and those people engaged in those enterprises.

These young people shouting UDA are not employed and are just told about the bottom-up but there is no concrete policy to realise the promises.

If elections were to be carried out today, it is true that DP Ruto will carry the day because he has been there for a while, but given time Raila will catch up with him easily.

Raila has not been there but people have already received him so well. He came late but with great impact.

The analyst spoke to the Star

(Edited by V. Graham)