Deputy President William Ruto has lined up a series of campaign rallies in eight counties in the first week of January.
He will return to ODM leader Raila Odinga’s Migori backyard on Sunday to woo residents to back his presidential bid.
In Migori, DP Ruto will camp in Kuria subcounty, an area that has been restive as the rest of Nyanza region votes for Raila.
Kuria is one of the areas that resisted the strong ODM wave in 2013 and elected a Jubilee candidate when the whole region was painted Orange.
The DP started his New Year campaign on Monday in Trans Nzoia. He addressed huge rallies at 10 different stops.
He visited Kachibora and Kesogon in Cherangany constituency, Kwanza Centre and Kapkoi in Kwanza, Kimwondo (Endebess), and Kitalale and Machewa in Saboti. He concluded the day in Waitaluk and Sikhendu in Kiminini.
Speaking in Kachibora, Ruto said this year’s presidential race will be won purely on development track record.
He challenged his competitors to show their development records when they were in government, even as he cautioned against tribal groupings that he warned could balkanise the country.
“This is not a beauty contest, we must insist on development records. One of them [competitors] was a Vice President while the other served as Prime Minister. Let them show us their development records,” Ruto said.
The DP also took a swipe at the handshake, blaming it for derailing the Big Four agenda, which was to among others create employment opportunities for millions of youths who have remained unemployed to date.
On Tuesday, Ruto’s entourage will head to Kakamega county where he will address a number of rallies. On Wednesday he will be in Bungoma.
This will be the second time Ruto will be invading Kakamega, having visited the vote-rich county on Saturday when he attended the Cleo Malala tournament at Mumias Complex Stadium.
The visit also comes in the backdrop of reports of behind-the-curtains talks with ANC boss Musalia Mudavadi and Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang'ula.
According to an itinerary seen by the Star, the DP will on Thursday take his campaigns to Busia county.
From Busia, Ruto’s entourage will sweep through West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet counties on Friday as he escalates his campaigns in the race to succeed his boss President Uhuru Kenyatta.
On Saturday, Ruto will hold a big rally in Eldoret followed by another series of engagements in Bomet on Monday as he ends his first week of 2022.
Edited by A.N
