- Raila is expected to use the tour to demonstrate how Western voters will be at the heart of his Azimio government
- Karua has hit the ground running, leading vigorous Azimio campaigns in Mt Kenya in a renewed battle to edge out Ruto from the region.
Image: RAILA ODINGA/TWITTER
Azimio presidential hopeful Raila Odinga has scheduled a seven-day campaign blitz that will see him traverse six counties as he popularises his State House bid.
The counties are Narok, Nairobi, Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga and Busia.
This is the first time the ODM boss will be hitting the campaign trail after unveiling Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua as his running mate in a contest billed as two-race between him and Deputy President William Ruto.
Karua, on the other hand, hit the ground running, leading vigorous Azimio campaigns in Mt Kenya in a renewed battle to edge out Ruto from the region.
The Narc Kenya leader has rolled out an intense charm offensive to counter Ruto’s fortunes in President Uhuru Kenyatta's Central Kenya turf and win the region to Azimio.
According to Raila’s campaign schedule released Friday, he will be pitching tent in Narok county over the weekend just days after Ruto team held several rallies in the neighbouring Kajiado county.
The DP addressed rallies at Kisrian, Matasia, Ngong’ and Embulbul in Kajiado county on Tuesday.
On Monday, the former Prime Minister will be in Nairobi where he will meet various delegations before flying to Trans Nzoia on Tuesday for the start of his second leg of Western Kenya campaigns tours.
Raila will then spend four days in Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga and finally Busia county drumming up support for his presidential bid.
He will comb through Bungoma on Wednesday before moving to Kakamega the following day where he will continue his meet-the-people rallies.
The ODM leader will then spend Thursday vote hunting in Vihiga county, where he will address several rallies.
The one-week campaign blitz will culminate in huge rallies in Busia county, another area which has stood with the ODM chief in the last elections.
Raila is expected to use the tour to demonstrate how Western voters will be at the heart of his Azimio government should he be declared winner of the August polls.
Political analyst Danstan Omari said Raila’s tour of Western is strategic as the region is likely to decide who takes over from President Uhuru Kenyatta.
According to Omari, the Luhya counties together have in excess of 2.5 million votes, which are sufficient to propel any candidate to the 50 plus one victory mark.
The decision of who goes to state House in this election will be decided in the Western Kenya region,” Omari said on phone.
This will be the first Raila tour of the second populous region after promising them crucial dockets in the Azimio government.
Azimio has promised to give National Treasury Cabinet Secretary slot to Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya while former National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende will have Senate Speaker.
In Kenya Kwanza, the Luhya community has been promised chief minister’s position and six Cabinet slots.
Other goodies promised by Kenya Kwanza should the alliance take over power include the construction of 1,000km of tarmac and appointments of principal secretaries and parastatal chiefs.
The visit also comes on the backdrop of Tifa opinion polls indicating that Raila-Karua ticket enjoys massive support in Western Kenya as compared to Ruto and Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua’s combination.
The study released Wednesday had Raila at the lead with 49 per cent, followed by Ruto at 26 per cent.
(edited by Amol Awuor)