I’ll win first round of polls: Raila

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PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI ODM leader Raila Odinga joins in a jig at Isiolo Stadium where he addressed a political rally on November 12, 2012 to drum up support for his presidential bid in the next general election.  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By NATION TEAM newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Tuesday, November 13  2012 at  00:30

IN SUMMARY

• Speaking a day after opinion polls came out with a likely scenario of running mates and a run-off, Mr Odinga urged Kenyans to ignore the polls’ results, saying he would garner enough support across the country to emerge winner in the first round
• Mr Odinga, who is the ODM leader, said that defections by members to other outfits had not affected his popularity and that of his party
• In Nairobi, a team of MPs allied to his rivals Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper Democratic Party) and Musalia Mudavadi (United Democratic Forum) met to prepare the way for the two leaders who have been shunned by the G7 Alliance to come together in a coalition

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Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Monday declared he would win the presidential race in the first round as his rival Musalia Mudavadi stepped up efforts to form a coalition with Vice- President Kalonzo Musyoka.

Mr Odinga was at the end of his six-day tour of Meru and Isiolo on a day he nearly had an encounter with United Republican Party presidential aspirant William Rutowho touched down in Isiolo minutes after the PM had left.

This came on a day Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa flew to South Sudan on the third trip of shuttle diplomacy in a delegation led by deputy PM Uhuru Kenyatta, seeking the support of regional leaders to tell foreigners to keep off Kenya’s elections.

Speaking a day after opinion polls came out with a likely scenario of running mates and a run-off, Mr Odinga urged Kenyans to ignore the polls’ results, saying he would garner enough support across the country to emerge winner in the first round.

“We are in this game to win, losing is not an option,” he said.

Mr Odinga, who is the ODM leader, said that defections by members to other outfits had not affected his popularity and that of his party.

He said that ODM would seek to win most seats in the contest to avoid a situation where he would have a lame duck government, even after winning the presidential race.

“We want to have the majority of the senatorial, gubernatorial, MP, county representative and women representative seats so as to have smooth implementation of party policies when we win.”

Mr Odinga said that an ODM government would rigorously implement the Constitution to ensure that all Kenyans enjoyed their rights.

In Nairobi, a team of MPs allied to his rivals Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper Democratic Party) and Musalia Mudavadi (United Democratic Forum) met to prepare the way for the two leaders who have been shunned by the G7 Alliance to come together in a coalition.

Meeting for the second time in six days, assistant minister David Musila (Wiper), and MPs Charles Kilonzo (Wiper), Boni Khalwale (UDF) and Jeremiah Kioni (UDF) started picking out common points from their campaign manifestos to draw up a coalition agenda.

Mr Musyoka and Mr Mudavadi met on Tuesday last over the possibility of forming a coalition.
Speaking after Monday morning's meeting at the Serena Hotel, Mr Musila who is the Wiper Party chairman said: “We have held a meeting in relation to our (Wiper and UDF) efforts to find the common things that can bring us together. We have taken some steps but it is premature to make any definite statement.”

Dr Khalwale said Mr Musyoka and Mr Mudavadi were determined to form a coalition that would bring on board other parties and organisations which reflected the face of the country.

“People want their leaders to come together and establish a national coalition that represents all Kenyans,” he said.

Mr Wamalwa, the New Ford Kenya presidential aspirant sought to bolster his coalition chances with Mr Kenyatta of The National Alliance when he joined his delegation of South Sudan.

On board were Cabinet ministers Charity Ngilu and Naomi Shaban, and MPs Najib Balala, Musikari Kombo and Kiema Kilonzo, in the third trip aimed at meeting regional heads of State.

Mr Wamalwa has been a constant feature in Mr Kenyatta’s trips to rally regional leaders and the African Union against a position taken by the international community that Kenyans will be better off with the TNA leader and Mr Ruto dropping out of the presidential race.

They have met Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza and Tanzania’s Jakaya Kikwete.

President Kiir said only Kenyans had the right to determine who their leaders would be, and that they had the right to be the shapers of their destiny.

—Reports by Bernard Namunane , Patrick Nzioka and Oliver Mathenge