- Some of the political leaders from the region told the Star that Raila has asked them to welcome the president during his two-day working tour.
- Raila was Ruto's main opponent in the August presidential election in which the president narrowly won the closely-fought contest.
Image: PSCU
Leaders from Luo Nyanza-opposition Chief Raila Odinga's political base have exhibited rare unity ahead of President William Ruto's tour of the region from Friday.
Some of the political leaders from the region told the Star that Raila has asked them to welcome the president during his two-day working tour.
Raila was Ruto's main opponent in the August presidential election in which the president narrowly won the closely-fought contest.
On Thursday, the majority of elected leaders from Luo Nyanza including Members of the National Assembly and the Senate had retreated back home in preparation for Ruto's major tour.
"We have been asked by baba (Raila) to all of us go home to welcome the president on Friday and Saturday. I can tell you that all of us will be on the ground to welcome the Head of State on Friday," said an elected MP from Siaya county, Raila's home county.
Ruto is expected to visit Siaya on Saturday where he will attend a thanksgiving ceremony for ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo.
On Friday the president will camp in Homa Bay county where he will launch a number of projects including the Affordable Housing initiative aimed at providing job opportunities for thousands of youths from the region through construction works, supplies and other fittings.
Homa Bay town MP Peter Kaluma said political leaders from the region have crossed ranks to give the president a 'heroic' welcome when he visits the region.
"We are ready to receive the president on Friday during his tour of the region and we ask our residents to turn up in large numbers to welcome him,'' Kaluma said.
Kaluma had on Wednesday spelt out a raft of proposals that he said leaders will present to the president as part of the region's development agenda.
Most elected MPs from the Luo nation had made their way to Kisumu by Thursday evening in readiness to receive the president on Friday.
The president is expected to hold a meeting with all elected leaders from Luo Nyanza counties at the Kisumu State Lodge on Friday evening.
This will be the first-ever major political engagement between President Ruto and leaders from Raila's backyard after a highly divisive and charged presidential contest in August.
Ruto is keen to demystify past political notions that an elected president would shun opposition bases just because they did not vote for him.
Despite Luo Nyanza voting overwhelmingly for Raila, Ruto has become the first president to give the region significant attention immediately after protracted elections, handing it key state dockets with immense influence.