It’s big Azimio wedding for Kenya — Raila

After visiting 17 counties propagating his unity campaign, opposition leader Raila Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja project climaxes in Nairobi today where he is expected to launch his 2022 presidential campaign.

While rallying Kenyans to attend the event, the Orange Democratic Movement leader said the meeting that will be the culmination of the Azimio journey that started in August in Nakuru county, will be a “big wedding for Kenya”.

Raila has indicated that he will use the forum to give Kenyans feedback on issues they had raised during his countywide rallies that were clearly facilitated by President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration but his supporters are expecting a stinging endorsement.

He said the Azimio La Umoja clarion call has been “one adventure that no other leader in the country had ever thought of engaging“.

“I have been listening to Kenyans and their leaders speak, many have raised pertinent issues affecting our country and asking about what can be done to fix the country, we have a solution to all these problems,” he said while asking Kenyans to attend what has been billed to be one of the country’s biggest political jamborees.

“On Friday, I will stand before the nation and give you the answer to all the issues you have been raising,” he said.

The magnitude of expectations around the event is palpable with both friends and foe expected to monitor the convention, which comes barely two days after the ODM leader received the backing of influential Mt Kenya leaders.

Thousands of delegates from all parts of the country started arriving in the city last evening while others have been advised to watch the event from their homes.

Though he has not declared it, Raila who appears to be Uhuru’s preferred successor it can be barely disguised that the former Prime Minister was laying ground for his fifth stab at the presidency.

Yesterday, Raila inspected Kasarani International Stadium ahead of today’s convention which will be attended by local and foreign dignitaries.
OKA leaders who had been invited to tje event, however, said yesterday that they would not attend.

He was accompanied by Governors Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega), James Ongwae (Kisii), Alex Tolgos (Elgeyo Marakwet), National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohamed and media mogul SK Macharia.

“The Prime Minister came to check on what the organising committee has done and he is happy with the preparations. I want to tell Kenyans that we are ready for them. Tomorrow is a big day for this country and they should come in large numbers from all over the country,” said Junet.
African revolutionaries

Leaders who spoke to People Daily predicted that Raila, a man known to be adept at re-inventing himself, could use the Azimio rally to declare his candidature and launch a new movement and broader alliance to energise his State House journey.

“The country should expect their fifth President to explain what ails the nation and what he intends to do to fix it in a simple language that can be understood by all,” said Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o.

“He will touch on the mission started by the founding fathers of fighting the key enemies of poverty, illiteracy and disease and spell out mitigation measures to make the lives of Kenyans better,” Prof Nyong’o told People Daily in an interview.

ODM national treasurer Timothy Bosire said today’s event is a big moment for Raila.

“As it should be, it is a moment of great of expectations for Raila. He is a man of his own standing on matters reforms especially on leadership. He is a giant in the league of African revolutionary leaders. He has been seeking an opportunity to build a system that can transform an African economy but he has always missed it,” said Bosire, a former Kitutu Masaba MP.

He added: “The Azimio convention will be the moment for Raila to articulate his path towards the kind of country that he wants Kenya to be. It is his opportunity to chart a new path for the future.”

According to Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua, there are strong expectations that the Azimio declaration might morph into a political movement.

“It may result into a movement of like-minded people keen to change Kenya into a country where individuals support each other regardless of their tribes,” said Mutua.

“It is an extension of the Handshake and we hope that it will trigger a conversation on generational change and refocus the country on the things that matter such as the fight against poverty.”

According to Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni, different interests, regions and political parties will coalesce under the Azimio la Umoja campaign.

“One political party will not unify the diversity of our country, a stark contrast with others. We appreciate that all political parties are welcome to the Azimio La Umoja, part of the greater agenda to putting Kenya first and salvaging our roots of unity,” said Kioni.

He added: “The promotion of individual and institutional development in social, economic and political fora; cohesion and unity of purpose are part and parcel of the Azimio La Umoja vision.”

Azimio la Umoja was born after the collapse of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI)  that was declared “unconstitutional, null and void”  by the Court of Appeal.

The project that was the brainchild of Uhuru and Raila had proposed constitutional amendments to expand the Executive as a cure for the challenge of political exclusion, additional resources to counties and creation of new constituencies.

According to Raila, the objective of Azimio La Umoja was to dissect problems facing the country, among them political inclusion, divisive electoral processes, insecurity, corruption and revival of the the economy.

“We cannot continue pitting each other against the other: the young against the old, poor against the rich, one faith against the other or tribe against tribe. Kenya cannot afford another era of political violence… It is clear the problems will go beyond 2022 if they are not identified and addressed today,” Raila says of the initiative.

Social protection

“There can never be peace when people are not united hence the Azimio La Umoja. We want Kenyans to speak peace, love and unity for this country to grow, for our economy to prosper and for us to create an enabling environment for investors to put their money here that will see our youths get jobs,” he charged.

It is widely expected that Raila will spell out details of his proposed Sh6,000 social protection programme for poor families,  job creation for the youth, the cost of education, growth of the economy and protection of businesses.
Jubilee Coalition  Parliamentary Group Secretary Adan Keynan said the pastoral leadership under Upya Movement would be attending today’s convention.
 

“I’ll be at Kasarani donning two hats, one as a Jubilee Party official with the President’s blessings, and as deputy leader of the Upya Movement,” he said.
 

“Only a Raila presidency can guarantee to safeguard of devolution which is the only sure route to rescue our people (Asal counties) from decades of marginalisation.”
—Additional reporting by Rawlings Otieno