Raila, Mudavadi target Jubilee vote basket

By Vincent Bartoo and Titus Too

KENYA: Presidential candidates Raila Odinga and Musalia Mudavadi are back to Rift Valley in separate bids to get a slice of the region’s sizeable vote believed to favour the Jubilee alliance.

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy flag-bearer, who is also the Prime Minister, and his deputy in Cabinet as well as United Democratic Forum candidate, have picked on key leaders from the region in the contest. 

Raila will be in the North Rift, which is the political base of United Republican Party leader and running mate of Jubilee presidential candidate, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, on Saturday.

Both Uhuru’s and Ruto’s ethnic blocs are predominant in the region which also boasts of pastoralist communities that have warmed up to Jubilee, and the sustained campaigns by Raila and Mudavadi are believed to be part of a strategy to grasp the undecided votes, consolidate what is already theirs, and get even more at the expense of Jubilee. 

Mudavadi was in Bomet on Wednesday and Kericho on Thursday. On Friday he will be in Kapenguria, on Saturday, Baringo, and Elgeyo Marakwet on Sunday.   Raila received overwhelming support from the region in the 2007 elections and is again banking on his network of local leaders.

“Local leaders who helped the PM in 2007 are still with him and they will remain with him despite the fact that Ruto’s URP poses a big challenge,” said businessman Jackson Kibor.

ODM has fielded candidates in all constituencies in the region, the most notable among them being Cabinet ministers Henry Kosgey (Nandi, Senate), Dr Sally Kosgei (Aldai MP) and Prof Margaret Kamar (Uasin Gishu-Governor). Mudavadi will also be banking on his links in the region, having been a long-serving Kanu minister, and briefly retired President Moi’s Vice President.

His party, UDF, entered into a coalition with Kanu under the leadership of its current chairman and former Baringo Central MP, Mr Gideon Moi. The younger Moi is seeking Baringo County’s Senate seat.

Notable leaders

Kanu’s notable candidates in the region are former Permanent Secretary John Lonyangapuo (West Pokot, Senate), Kanu Secretary General Nick Salat (Bomet, Senate), Moses Changwony (Elgeyo-Marakwet, Governor) and former State House Comptroller Abraham Kiptanui (Uasin Gishu, Senate).

CORD leaders — Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetangula and Raila — will address separate rallies in various parts of North Rift region, before converging for a major rally in Eldoret at the 64 Stadium on Saturday . The rally will be preceded by a lunch meeting with stakeholders from the region, in the town.

A week ago, Mudavadi and Raila trailed each other in a campaign tour of Western region, widely expected to be the swing vote in the March 4 polls, but whose control Musalia is reportedly reclaiming but with stiff resistance by CORD.

In Western, Raila sought to persuade locals not to abandon him insisting he was their ‘son’ while Mudavadi appeared to want to lock in the area to bolster his bid.

Mudavadi started his five-day foray into Rift Valley on Tuesday, beginning with South Rift right after naming his running mate, outgoing Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni.

“The Amani coalition leaders will campaign in each County through three separate teams, before converging for a main rally at a central point,” announced Mudavadi’s private secretary, Mr Kibisu Kabatesi.

On Tuesday, Amani candidate, Mr Gideon Moi and Wamalwa addressed a rally at Silibwet, Bomet County.

On Thursday, Mudavadi was in Kericho and addressed a rally at Moi Gardens before heading to West Pokot on Friday for a campaign meeting at Makutano. “The team will be in Baringo on Saturday before ending up in Elgeyo/Marakwet,” added Kabatesi.

Raila on will on Saturday  campaign in Turbo, Elgeyo Border, Moi’s Bridge, Kesses and Cheptiret areas of Uasin Gishu County.

Timely and strategic

Mr David Songok, an ODM parliamentary aspirant for Turbo and one of the local organisers of PM tour, said they had mobilised residents to attend the rallies. Raila is also set to use the trip to launch official campaigns for ODM nominees in Uasin Gishu; Mr Paul Birech (Senate), Moira Chepkok (Women Representative) and Prof Kamar (Governor).

Kamar and Birech on Thursday said the visit was timely and strategic after the conclusion of party nominations. “It is a good opportunity to have the Prime Minister in our region, to be connected with the people and sell party policies. It is also an ideal time to launch campaigns for ODM candidates running for all seats,” Birech said.

Raila’s tour of North Rift will be the first since he named Kalonzo his running mate in spite of expectations in the region he would settle on ODM Chairman Henry Kosgey.

Kosgey had campaigned for the seat, alongside Roads Minister Franklin Bett and outgoing Kipkelion MP Magerer Langat. After Kalonzo was picked, Bett declared he would not contest any elective seat and instead chose to take up the offer to chair ODM’s elections board.

Kosgey has since clinched the ODM ticket to contest the Nandi County Senate seat while Langat got the party nomination to seek re-election in Kipkelion. Raila will, in his trip, have to address concerns by his supporters in Rift Valley over their stake in a CORD coalition government if he wins.

Recently, ODM local leaders, aspirants and supporters met for a strategy meeting chaired by Friends of Raila (Fora) Chairman Micah Kigen where they made a raft of demands.

In the meeting, held at Sirikwa hotel a fortnight ago, they demanded that Raila appoints Chief Cabinet Secretary from the region should CORD form the next Government.

Their stake

Addressing the press after the meeting, Kigen said the PM’s supporters in the region wanted an assurance of their stake should they vote for him. “Supporters of our competitors in this region know what they are getting. CORD supporters here also want the alliance to be clear on what Rift Valley will get,” said Kigen.

However, the entry of the Amani coalition into the presidential race may complicate matters for Raila in Rift Valley. Mudavadi enjoys support in the region, which is bolstered by family ties.  The DPM’s father, late Moses Mudavadi, began his career in public service in Baringo and Nandi before he was thrust to national politics.

It was also in Baringo that the younger Mudavadi was born. It is also during his stay that the elder Mudavadi married his second wife from the region.