Ruto returns to Busia as Western vote hunting hots up

Deputy President William Ruto will take his Kenya Kwanza campaigns to Busia where he will address a rally.

The rally will bring together all candidates gunning for elective seats in the Kwanya Kwanza alliance.

The DP is returning to the border county a day after he addressed an economic forum in Nambale sub-county.

The event had been convened to discuss ways through which struggling small-scale businesses can be uplifted in case Ruto ascends to the presidency after the August polls.

Today's rally will be critical in his vote hunting mission as he continues to popularise his State House bid ahead of the August elections.

On Thursday, he spent most of his time highlighting the challenges affecting small scale traders in the county.

They included the boda boda industry, salon business, tourism sector, clearing and clearing and forwarding at the border, agriculture and other sectors that constitute the Small and Medium Enterprise industry.

Ruto is set to bank on today's Busia town rally to market his Presidential agenda as campaigns begin to take shape.

Among leaders foreshadowed to receive the former Eldoret North MP include Nambale MP John Bunyasi who was his host during the economic forum held at Mungatsi Technical Training Institute, former Foreign Affairs Chief Administrative Secretary Ababu Namwamba and former Teso South MP Mary Emase.

Bunyasi is eyeing to succeed Governor Sospeter Ojaamong on an ANC party ticket while Emase is in the race to recapture the MP seat she lost to ODM's Geoffrey Omuse in 2017.

Other aspirants gunning for elective seats for positions of Senator, MP and MCA across the seven subcounties constituting Busia County will also attend the rally.

Busia is among counties President Uhuru Kenyatta's second in command envisions to 'capture' in his bid to galvanise support as the country moves towards the August general elections.

The county has seven constituencies – Teso North, Teso South, Nambale, Matayos, Butula, Funyula and Budalang'i.

Parties constituting Kenya Kwanza alliance which is led by Ruto is fielding MP aspirants in all the seven constituencies.

ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and Ford Kenya's Moses Wetangula will address the DP's rally.