- The DP is expected to launch his manifesto at a grand event in Nairobi on June 30 after concluding the signing of county charters.
- The Ruto secretariat has established three key teams made up of seven members each.
Image: DPPS
Deputy President William Ruto's campaign team has unveiled a frenetic countrywide vote-hunting schedule that will culminate in a manifesto launch on June 30.
The campaign secretariat has established three key teams made up of seven members each.
The teams, which have snubbed most key politicians from Ruto's Rift Valley backyard, will run independent of the regional Kenya Kwanza presidential campaign teams created last month to oversee 16 regions.
The teams will separately be led by Ruto, his running mate Rigathi Gachagua and Amani National Congress boss Musalia Mudvadi. They include six governors, selected MPs and some Kenya Kwanza affiliate party leaders.
Ruto, the Kenya Kwanza joint presidential candidate flying the United Democratic Alliance ticket, will lead one team that includes governors Amason Kingi (Kilifi), Moses Lenolkulal (Samburu) and Alfred Mutua (Machakos).
Joining the DP's entourage will be Chama Cha Kazi party leader and Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria and MPs Kimani Ichung'wah (Kikuyu), MP Peris Tobiko (Kajiado East) and Starehe's Charles Kanyi alias Jaguar. The team is coded Team WSR.
The second team christened 'RG' will be led by Gachagua and will include Ford Kenya boss Moses Wetang'ula, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and former Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter.
Others in Team RG are former National Assembly Majority leader Aden Duale, The Service Party leader Mwangi Kiunjuri and Narok Woman Representative Soipan Tuya.
Mudavadi's camp, to be known as 'Team MM', will have governors Okoth Obado (Migori), Samwel Tunai (Narok) and former Kiambu governor and Tujibebe party leader William Kabogo.
Others in the team are Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki, his Elgeyo Marakwet counterpart Kipchumba Murkomen and MPs Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu) and Catherine Waruguru (Laikipia Woman Rep).
The teams will be traversing the country, leading key campaign meetings and overseeing county economic forums to support grassroots campaign groups.
This month, the teams will separately lead their charges for campaigns across 15 counties for the bottom up economic forums and campaign rallies.
“We are determined to fly, drive and walk across the length and breadth of this country to ensure nothing short of victory in the August general election,” said Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok, head of the Ruto campaigns.
The DP is expected to launch his manifesto at a grand event in Nairobi on June 30 after concluding the signing of county charters.
The documents anchor the DP's commitments to specific priority areas for various regions.
Ruto's economic team chaired by economist David Ndii has been holding county-based sessions with opinion leaders to collect their views and craft their priorities that will anchor the charters.
The Kenya Kwanza programme shows after the unveiling of the manifesto and county charters, the DP will then lead his teams from July 1 to launch the documents in every county.
Ruto is then expected to conclude the charters launch by July 31 across all the 47 counties and then retreat to Nairobi for a grande finale rally ahead of the August general election.
The DP was in Makueni on Thursday for the county's economic forum while his deputy Gachagua oversaw another forum in Lamu.
On Friday Ruto will focus on Kitui where he will lead the economic forum before addressing rallies in the county and Machakos. He will be accompanied by the Rigathi and Mudavadi teams.
On Saturday and Sunday, the Ruto Secretariat has lined up back to back events in Nairobi including a mega rally.
This Saturday, the DP and his running mate will hold a mega rally in Nairobi at Kamkunji grounds after submitting nomination papers to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission at Bomas.
The DP's teams will also hold a series of rallies across Nairobi estates before heading to Kamkunji in the afternoon. They will concentrate in Nairobi on Sunday as well.
The law requires that each presidential aspirant prepares a campaign schedule and deposits the same with the electoral commission as well as the police to avoid any clashes.
On Monday, Ruto is planned to unveil a women's charter in Nairobi to anchor his promises to them.
After the launch Ruto, will fly to Garissa for an economic forum and campaign rallies in the Northeastern county while Gachagua and his team will camp in Embu.
The Mudavadi team will pitch tent in Narok where they are scheduled to hold three major rallies.
On June 7, Ruto will take charge of the Wajir economic forum while his deputy will oversee a similar exercise in Nyandarua county.
Ruto will lead campaign rallies in Wajir West, Wajir North and Mandera stadium as Gachagua will fly to Nakuru for three major rallies.
Separately, the Mudavadi team will land in Narok on the same day for two more rallies in Kilgoris and Emurua Dikir before heading to Bomet for campaigns.
The following day, the Ruto team will concentrate on the Northern Kenya with an economic forum in Mandera before holding a series of rallies. He will then fly to Marsabit for a rally.
At the same time, Gachagua will lead the second team for campaign rallies in Nyandarua while while Mudavadi's camp will storm Nakuru.
On June 9, Gachagua will lead an economic forum in Marsabit county in Saku before campaigning in Saku, Laisamis and Isiolo county.
Gachagua will shift charge to Samburu where he will lead an economic forum.
Mudavadi will be joined by Wetang'ula in West Pokot for a series of rallies before flying to their backyard of Trans Nzoia to attempt to counter recent rallies by Raila Odinga's Azimio.
On the same day, Gachagua's team will pitch tent in Laikipia county for campaign rallies.
On June 10, Ruto will take charge of the Isiolo economic forum followed by three campaign rallies in Isiolo and Meru while Gachagua will head the Kirinyaga economic forum the same day.
Team MM will fly to Elgeyo Marakwet for three rallies and comb Uasin Gishu for a number of political campaigns.
Mudavadi and Wetang'ula will remain in Western Kenya for a series of rallies to parry away Raila's growing influence in the region.
On Monday June 13, Ruto will be in Tharaka Nithi for an economic forum in the home turf of Senator Kindiki.
During this event, the DP will be joined by all the campaign teams of Gachagua and Mudavadi as all other campaigns will be suspended across the country.
After Tharaka Nithi, the Kenya Kwanza team will be in Nairobi for the capital city's economic forum launch on June 14 before they head to Turkana for a similar event the following day.
Edited by Henry Makori