Raila leaves for Asia as talks put off

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By NATION REPORTER
Posted  Wednesday, October 31  2012 at  21:37

IN SUMMARY

• The PM’s campaign team has laid down plans for talks with leaders in Eldoret Town amid frantic efforts to woo back the region.
• His attempts to convince Mr Ruto to sign a pre-election deal with him have met resistance from some of the Eldoret North MP’s close allies, forcing the URP leader into another try at cutting a deal with Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.

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Prime Minister Raila Odinga left the country unannounced on Tuesday night for a private trip to Asia as his campaigns took a short break ahead of his planned visit to Eldoret on Monday.

The PM’s campaign team has laid down plans for talks with leaders in Eldoret Town amid frantic efforts to woo back the region. (READ: Elders: What we told Raila about Rift Valley vote)

His attempts to convince Mr Ruto to sign a pre-election deal with him have met resistance from some of the Eldoret North MP’s close allies, forcing the URP leader into another try at cutting a deal with Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.

Unwilling to discuss

Mr Odinga was to hold a meeting with elders at Poa Place in Eldoret on Friday, but it was cancelled to accommodate his Asian trip.

Mr Odinga’s officers were on Wednesday unwilling to discuss details of his trip that involved a lean team of close associates and a security officer.

But the head of his campaign, Mr Eliud Owallo, said that plans for his Eldoret meeting are on course.

“We will be in Eldoret on Monday. It will be one of a series of Town Hall meetings to engage local leaders,” Mr Owallo said.

The chairman of North Rift for Raila, Mr Simon Lilan, who is coordinating the meeting, told the Nationthat the talks were cancelled on Wednesday and rescheduled by Mr Odinga’s campaign secretariat.