It seems ODM leader Raila Odinga’s (pictured) fortunes in Mt Kenya are changing very fast. Days after he toured the vote-rich area, held well-attended rallies and was endorsed by top tycoons, several politicians from the region are rumoured to be on their way to his camp. Early this week, an MP, who has been a fierce critic of the former Prime Minister, was heard telling his colleagues in UDA in the corridors of Parliament that "Baba’s wave" has caused turbulence in the area. He added that some of the politicians who are loyal UDA lieutenants could soon announce their departure.
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Just why has an MP from Nyanza not set foot in his constituency to mobilise the residents to come out and register as voters? His supporters are shocked that the man who has been frequenting the constituency now is conspicuously missing in action. Meanwhile, his colleagues have retreated to their areas to mobilise the residents to register. His 2022 competitors are enjoying a field day and taking advantage of his absence to trash his record and win over his chief campaigners. Moles close to the legislator intimate that he fears going to the ground because he’s broke. It took every shilling to acquire a mega million-shilling house on a high-end estate in the capital.
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A senior politician from Western Kenya has vowed that he would not play second fiddle to some political heavyweights from that region. The politician has reportedly told his boss that for many years, he has stood with him but his boss favours his rivals. He says those the boss prefers have no greater clout than he does. But he has always been at the periphery when it comes to the sharing of big jobs at the top. The man insists his rivals are always johnnies-come-lately who always join the table with conditions with tough conditions and must not be tolerated this time round.
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Concerning police matters, a recently promoted senior officer is a man on a mission to enrich himself by any means. Apart from offering ‘protection’ to illegal foreigners for a fee, the man has influenced the deployment of friendly officers to critical police stations to offer the services to visitors. Of particular interest are services to a person infamous for grabbing public land. The foreigner has been bragging about being untouchable because of connections to the senior officer. A few weeks ago, the officer organised security for a clandestine meeting for a group of foreigners in the Ngara area. It is just a matter of time before the man’s greed exposes him to authorities.
(Edited by V. Graham)
