Presidential aspirants step up campaign to woo voters

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By SUNDAY NATION TEAM newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Saturday, August 11  2012 at  23:30

IN SUMMARY

• Packed diary as hopefuls traverse counties to sell their ideas

Presidential hopefuls on Saturday crisscrossed the country and the globe to sell their ideas and woo voters.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga was in London where he asked Kenyans in the city to back the implementation of the devolved governments as envisaged in the Constitution. He said devolution was the key to an equitable and progressive nation.

The PM said the centralised system, which some leaders are determined to retain, was introduced in the country “through the backdoor” and has caused “untold pain to Kenyans”. Centralisation, Mr Odinga said, made everyone live at the mercy of the State, especially the Executive.

He said devolution would ensure that services like healthcare, roads and aspects of agriculture become the responsibility of the county government.

“This will ensure that Kenyans stop depending on a leader who comes from Nairobi to the village once or twice a year. Devolution will end the culture of making basic rights like water, healthcare, education being treated like favours to citizens,” he said.

Mr Odinga will on Monday join other world leaders at a meeting hosted by UK Prime Minister David Cameron on nutrition at Number 10 Downing Street before joining Kenyans to cheer the athletics team in the marathon.

Mr William Ruto’s United Republican Party (URP) seemed to have beaten a retreat on its earlier pledge to form coalitions with other political parties. The party leaders said on Saturday in Nairobi’s Huruma grounds that their goal is to form the next government. “We therefore have no time for coalitions,” Dujis MP Aden Duale said.

“It is very clear in our minds that we will form the government. We already have 41 strong MPs in the current government,” he added.

On Thursday, party chairman Francis ole Kaparo had said they were ready to dialogue and forge alliances with other like-minded parties.

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Mr Duale was accompanied by de facto party leader William Ruto, Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny and Health assistant minister Kazungu Kambi.

On Saturday, Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth met groups that have pledged to join his campaign team as he prepares for his first stab at the presidency. The volunteers for PK 2013 met the Planning assistant minister in Kiambu town.

And on Sunday, the Kenya National Congress aspirant will attend a church service at Kangari in Murang’a County.

UDF presidential hopeful Musalia Mudavadi will on Sunday attend mass at Gaturi Parish Church in Murang’a County. The Deputy Prime Minister will thereafter officially open the church dispensary and inspect development projects, including Mugeka Secondary School, Donorion Home for the Mentally Handicapped and Mugeka Polytechnic.

He will later make stops at Murang’a Town bus stop, Kaharati (junction of Kigumo), Sabasaba and at Maragua.

Narc-Kenya party leader Martha Karua was in Turkana County where she called on the Pokot and Turkana to shun hatred and work together for the development of the region.

She added that the discovery of oil was an opportunity for economic development in the area. “The government must ensure that the Turkana community benefits fully from the discovery of oil deposit.” 

The Gichugu MP further called on the government to end insecurity in arid and semi-arid regions by hastening police reforms, which she said is a key element in the provision of security.

Ms Karua also said that IDPs should be resettled by the government before the next elections.

“Most internally displaced people are faced with difficulties, yet this government promised to resettle all of them. We should avoid any conflicts in the coming elections.”

The National Alliance presidential aspirant Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday asked Kajiado North hopefuls to maintain peace ahead of the September 17 by-elections. He called for the unity of the aspirants, saying that only one of them will win the seat and they would have to work together after the elections.

“Whoever you elect is the person we will work with. Anybody who divides the people isn’t a leader,” he said.

Mr Kenyatta was referring to a showdown among aspirants from various parties during a ceremony at the home of Olkejuado County Council treasurer Morris ole Kaaka.

ODM candidate Ole Mositet had told TNA aspirant Moses ole Sakuda not to vie for the by-election and instead wait for next year, but Mr Sakuda insisted he was firmly in the race. Mr Kenyatta urged voters to elect whomever will fight poverty and reduce the ills that afflict the constituency.