President William Ruto will embark on a working tour of Western Kenya in an extensive trip scheduled to begin on December 18 and wrestle opposition chief Raila Odinga out of the vote rich region.
Ruto has already met a section of politicians from Western Kenya at State House including COTU boss Francis Atwoli and governors and MPs allied to the ODM leader.
The corrupt Kakamega governor Fernandez Barasa who was elected on ODM party ticket also attended the meeting, barely a week after his predecessor Wycliffe Oparanya announced that he is ditching Odinga.
The State House meeting was also attended by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Kakamega deputy governor Ayub Savula, Senate Majority Whip Boni Khalwale and Malava MP Malulu Njendi.
President Ruto has recently intensified meetings with leaders from the Luhya community as part of his efforts to consolidate the region which has largely voted with Odinga in the previous elections.
The President has already won the allegiance of the outspoken trade unionist Francis Atwoli, a close ally of Odinga and his foremost critic in the last polls.
Governor Barasa will on Thursday preside over Kakamega County Leaders Forum to firm up on a development memorandum that will be presented to President Ruto.
Reliable sources have revealed to Kenyan Bulletin that Ruto administration agreed to the request during the State House meeting on Sunday.
The governor also wants the national government to fast track the construction and operationalization of the Kakamega Gold Refinery in Ikolomani, the revival of Mumias Sugar Company and expansion of the Kakamega Airstrip.
The unity of purpose for development. We thank the President, @WilliamsRuto, for this afternoon's meeting at State House. Congratulations Gov Barasa for taking the big decision pic.twitter.com/4nlzuvjwma
— Dr Boni Khalwale, CBS (@KBonimtetezi) December 4, 2022
ODM deputy party leader and former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has also told off his colleagues in Azimio Coalition for criticizing Kenya Kenya administration. Oparanya who seems headed to President Ruto’s camp, termed ODM attacks on the government as ‘premature’.
He added that there was nothing wrong with ODM MPs meeting President Ruto after Benard Shinali (Ikolomani) and Titus Khamala (Lurambi), went to State House to advocate for development in their respective constituencies.
Luhya leaders argue that it’s time to dump Odinga after he used his closeness with the former President Uhuru Kenyatta to channel development projects to his Nyanza backyard as he turned a blind eye on the Luhya community which has backed him in all elections.
Oparanya has in fact stated that he will not support his ODM boss Raila Odinga in future elections but will deploy his energies to unite the Luyha community.
“I am offering myself from now to lead the unity drive of our people. I am done with Raila and even if he bad-mouths me, God forbid, he knows, he will not be forgiven,” Oparanya said.
He said the ‘Mulembe Nation’ had backed Odinga in five successive elections in vain and it’s time for them to chart a different political path to be part of the government in 2027.
He accuses Odinga of betraying the trust of the Luhya community as he cited minority slots in both the National Assembly, Senate as well as the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) as areas where the community’s numerical strength counted less.
Oparanya was also angered by manner in which nominations to EALA were conducted as he faulted MPs for sacrificing merit for bribes.
“I was pushing for Kiziro Justus (former MP Shinyalu) to go to EALA but MPs were grumbling that Kizito had no money. I was wondering that MPs must also be bribed to vote,” he posed.
The EALA nomination slots were handed to Raila and Kalonzo’s children, Winnie and Kennedy Musyoka among those elected to EALA.
But the former Kakamega governor argues that of the country’s eight regions, only Western missed out despite overwhelming support for Odinga in the last pas five polls.
