Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya says a series of rallies are set to be held in the Western Kenya region to drum up support for Raila Odinga's Azimio la Umoja movement.
In a statement on Monday after meeting a host of Western Kenya leaders for Azimio's meeting at Golf Hotel, Kakamega, Oparanya said they are ready for massive campaigns in the region.
"After this meeting, we are going to roll out vigorous campaigns to sell Azimio la Umoja Movement and Baba mashinani to ensure that he garners majority votes from the vote-rich Luhyia community," he said.
The Azimio meeting came nearly two weeks after the region's perceived kingpins ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and Ford Kenya's Moses Wetang'ula announced plans to work with deputy president William Ruto.
Oparanya who is positioning himself as the region's topmost political leader appears to be stamping his authority on the region which has for years been accused of lacking a kingpin.
On December 31, last year, a group of Western elders declared Oparanya as the region's kingpin, a position earlier bestowed on Mudavadi.
The move was dismissed by both Mudavadi and Wetang'ula, who maintained that they are the region's top leaders.
Among those who attended Kakamega's Azimio meeting on Monday include COTU secretary general Francis Atwoli, Defence CS Eugene Wamalwa, some governors, senators, MPs and MCAs.
The leaders maintained that the Western region is solidly behind Raila, terming Mudavadi and Wetang'ula defection to the DP's camp as inconsequential.
"Azimio la Umoja Movement is unstoppable," Oparanya added.
The meeting now sets the stage open for the control of the vote-rich Western region that has over the years backed Raila in his presidential bids.
