Kenya
to vote an outsider
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Updated 7 hrs 19 mins
ago
By
Job Weru
Deputy Prime Minister
Musalia Mudavadi completed his tour of President Kibaki’s Nyeri County Sunday
evening, with a significant call on the residents to change their voting
patterns.
Mudavadi said Kenyans
have the perception that Central Kenya residents do not vote for leaders from
outside the region — that they always back one of their own to ascend to the
presidency.
Addressing faithful at Our Lady of Fatima
Mukurwe-ini Catholic Parish, Mudavadi warned that it was high time Central
Kenya people proved to Kenyans that they are able to unite with other Kenyans
and elect leaders from outside the region.
“You now have the opportunity to prove to Kenyans that you can
vote for leaders from outside the region. Let me tell you that Kenyans are
watching and it is high time you proved the stereotypes wrong,” said Mudavadi.
Meet-the-people tour
The DPM was on a weekend tour of Nyeri County. On Saturday, he met
local leaders at Nyeri ACK Church Hall and later toured the Nyeri town where he
addressed residents at the main terminus.
United Democratic Forum leaders, Assistant Minister Nderitu
Mureithi and Manyala Keya and MPs Jeremiah Kioni (Ndaragwa), Boni Khalwale
(Ikolomani) and George Nyamweya (Nominated) accompanied him.
Also present in Sunday’s church service and a successive
meet-the-people tour of Mukurwe-ini and Karatina towns were former Information
Minister Mutahi Kagwe, Nyeri County Council Chairman Mr Wachira Keen and
political activists, Simon Mathenge and Dr Gakuru Wahome.
Khalwale, who received a warm welcome, called on President Kibaki
and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to call an early election in December.
Election mood
Khalwale said a court ruling that set the General Election for
March 4 next year gave the two principals powers to call an early election.
“The Grand Coalition has disintegrated. Mudavadi, (William) Ruto
and (Najib) Balala are on their own. Other leaders have also embraced
campaigns. An election mood has gripped the country and we want the principals
to call early elections,” said Khalwale.
However, despite various leaders calling on Mudavadi to unite and
form an alliance with other presidential aspirants, Uhuru Kenyatta, Peter
Kenneth among others, Mudavadi waved off the topic, and instead called for
unity of all Kenyans.
He at the same time condemned Sunday’s grenade attack at a
Catholic and African Inland Church in Garissa, where about 16 people died.
Among the dead were guards who were shot by the attackers.
Mudavadi said the war on Al Shabaab must
continue, until all the insurgents are wiped out.
He observed that the terror group was aiming at creating a wedge
between Christians and Muslims.
“But I urge Kenyans to pray that their mission will fail and the
people will remain united,” he said.
For the second day, leaders called for an
alliance between Mudavadi and his counterpart Uhuru.
Run-off
Khalwale, Kagwe, Keen and Mathenge said the secret to winning the
elections without conducting a run-off would only be through their unity.
“There are so many other positions that they can share out if they come
together. We want the leaders to come together and form an alliance that will
sweep through with a landslide,” said Khalwale.
Kioni hailed the unity and warned the leaders against waiting
until a run-off is called.
“If they cannot come together in one year of six months, do you
think they will be united by a run-off,” Kioni posed.
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