Sunday, September 19, 2010

PM in Makadara campaigns

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 18 – Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Saturday took to Nairobi’s Makongeni grounds for a campaign rally in support of ODM's Reuben Ndolo who is contesting for the Makadara seat in Monday's by election.

The PM who was also expected to make stop overs in Starehe to rally votes for Bishop Margaret Wanjiru promised jobs as well as decent and affordable shelter for the constituents.

He asked the area residents to vote for Mr Ndolo saying he would bring developments.

“When a battered or ill treated person prays, his prayers don’t go to his batterer or enemy. What does that mean? I am here to ask you for the Makadara votes. I want Mr Ndolo to win the Makadara seat; will you help me in my quest?” he asked the ecstatic crowd.

The PM also pleaded with the residents not to elect Mr Ndolo's flamboyant opponent Mike Mbuvi aka Sonko and PNU's Dick Wathika. He remained confident that Ndolo would capture the contested seat.

“There’s nothing much that can be done to a hen that prays for protection against the eagle because when the eagle comes it will still snatch the chicks from the mother hen. Do we all know who the chicken and the eagle are?” he quipped.

The PM also thanked the residents for endorsing Kenya’s new laws saying they would help Kenya achieve various reform agendas.

“This Constitution is very different from the one we had; the two are like night and day so things must be done differently. In fact a policeman should salute first before arresting you. All the police we have, will have to be re-trained,” he said amidst applause and the resounding sound of vuvuzelas.

He also reassured the area residents that the new laws did not permit homosexuality as had been claimed by some in the ‘No’ camp during the referendum campaigns.

“The recent census results show that women are more than men; true or false? Now if you are a man and you take another man to be your woman, then you must be very mad. And if you are a woman, how can you leave all these nice men and couple up with another woman?” he posed.

Meanwhile Mr Mbuvi spent his day campaigning in various areas of Makadara constituency including Mukuru and Viwandani slums. Mbuvi who has been using campaign tactics similar to those of American President Barrack Obama asked area residents to vote for change.

Mbuvi who started off as a matatu driver, promised to bring change in the area claiming those who had been there in the past had not done much.

“I am just a common citizen and I know the daily struggles of common citizens,” he said.

His campaign strategies ranged from door to door campaigns, to free transport and even free meat; something which the Interim Independent Electoral Commission says is illegal. But his campaigns committee heavily defended his actions saying he was sharing what he had with the people.

His accounts were also recently frozen by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) pending further investigations. Although Narc-Kenya (the party through which Mbuvi is contesting) read mischief into the move by CBK, it is not clear why his accounts were being investigated.

1 comment:

  1. Hey! state machinery need to leave sonko alone!!where were they before he clinched madaraka seat.Mambo ya kufreeze account zako iko tu late,for the game is already won.

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