From left: Nominated MP Musikari Kombo, Webuye MP Alfred Sambu, New Ford-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa and Amani Coalition presidential candidate Musalia Mudavadi in Webuye on January 6, 2013. Photo/DPMPS DPMPS
By BENSON AMADALA amadalabenson@yahoo.com AND JACKLINE MORAA moraajm@yahoo.com
Posted Thursday, January 10 2013 at 21:30
Posted Thursday, January 10 2013 at 21:30
IN SUMMARY
- Cord presidential candidate Raila Odinga (ODM), his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka (WDM) and Trade Minister Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya) will be in Kakamega on Friday
- The Amani coalition team led by its presidential candidate, Mr Mudavadi of UDF and Mr Wamalwa (New Ford Kenya) will hold rallies in Bungoma before moving to Kakamega on Saturday
Three leading coalitions have pitched tent in western Kenya as the hunt for votes intensifies with 52 days remaining to the March 4 election.
The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord), the Jubilee alliance and the Amani coalition are seeking to upstage each other in the race to rally voters in the region, which includes the former Western and Nyanza provinces and parts of the Rift Valley.
The groups are shadowing one another in the campaigns. In Kisii, for example, Cord organised a caravan tour in the region on the same day Jubilee was in town for rallies.
In Kakamega, Bungoma and Trans-Nzoia, the Cord and Amani rallies will be held within hours of each other.
Initially seen as a Cord stronghold, the former Western Province has turned into a battleground region following the formation of the Amani coalition, which saw Mr Mudavadi and Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa come together.
Now the two must fight for a significant share of the vote to be in a strong bargaining position — should this be the case — after the polls.
In the just concluded voter registration, Nyanza recorded 1,954,756 voters while Western listed 1,434,987. Rift Valley region led the count with 3,373,853 voters.
Leaders of the three coalitions will be following in the footsteps of the Eagle coalition whose co-leader Peter Kenneth was in Trans Mara on Wednesday popularising his presidential bid.
Cord presidential candidate Raila Odinga (ODM), his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka (WDM) and Trade Minister Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya) will be in Kakamega on Friday.
On Saturday, they will proceed to Kitale for a rally at the Kenyatta Stadium and wind up their tour of the two regions with a visit to Bungoma on Sunday for a rally at the Posta Grounds.
The Amani coalition team led by its presidential candidate, Mr Mudavadi of UDF and Mr Wamalwa (New Ford Kenya) will hold rallies in Bungoma before moving to Kakamega on Saturday in a calculated move by the coalition to undo campaigns by their opponents.
Mr Mudavadi’s team will be in Trans-Nzoia on Sunday before proceeding to Busia on Monday and wrap up in Vihiga on Tuesday.
The Cord team, which brings together ODM, Wiper and Ford-K is keen to consolidate support in Kakamega and Vihiga counties, which are perceived to be strongholds of the Amani coalition.
Ignited fierce battle
Ignited fierce battle
Mr Wamalwa’s move to step down from the presidential race in support of Mr Mudavadi has ignited a fierce battle in Bungoma County, the home turf of Cord’s Wetang’ula, who is seeking the senate seat.
The entry of Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo in the race for Kakamega senator is seen as a boost for Cord.
Early in the week, Jubilee coalition candidate Uhuru Kenyatta and his running mate William Ruto were in southern Nyanza for two days, touring Migori, Nyamira and Kisii counties before heading to Trans Mara.
Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Ongeri is the Jubilee coalition pointman in the region.
The issue of constitutional implementation dominated most of the speeches with Mr Kenyatta criticising the PM for branding his rivals as anti-reform.
Mr Kenyatta argued that all Kenyans were reformers since the promulgation of the Constitution.
As Jubilee intensified their campaigns, Cord officials shadowed them to counter their influence.
Led by Public Works Minister Chris Obure, the Cord team drove in a caravan urging residents to reject Jubilee on grounds that its leaders are facing crimes against humanity charges.
Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto have been charged at the International Criminal Court at The Hague in relation to the 2007/08 post-election violence in which 1,133 Kenyans were killed and nearly 600,000 displaced.
Their cases will be heard in April.
The Jubilee leaders, who were in Mogotio and Kabarnet, will be in Kericho on Friday.
On Wednesday, the Kenya National Congress leader was in Trans Mara where he made a raft of pledges in his bid to woo the voters.
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