Raila is your best, President  implores Nairobi electorate

President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday rallied Nairobi residents to vote for Azimio-One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga in next month’s presidential election, saying he is best placed to complete ongoing development projects.

The President spoke as Raila and his running-mate, Martha Karua, took their campaigns to the Coast where they promised to deal with land disputes in the region.

Speaking during various stop-overs in the capital, Uhuru asked city voters to back Raila and Karua, saying Deputy William Ruto was a sweet-tongued leader, who cannot deliver on his promises.

“Good people, Raila and Martha are the people who will liberate this country. Their competitors are just full empty talk and insults. I am politely asking you people to help me pass the baton to Raila Odinga,” the President  said.

Sources said Nairobi was just the first stop and the President would next head to Central Kenya to drum up support for Azimio in coming days.

 The sources said Cabinet Secretaries had already been assigned to precede the President and identify the projects he will be commissioning as part of his tour.

Yesterday, Uhuru gave out title deeds for the outskirts of the city, including Ruai as part of his charm offensive. He was accompanied by among others, former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, who also asked city residents to vote for Azimio.

Using the biblical story of Adam and Eve as an analogy, the Head of State dismissed his Deputy, who is also in the race to succeed him. 

“Sometimes I really wonder how these people come here and mislead you. When I see them moving from one place misleading you I relate this to the biblical story where Eve was lied to by the snake and put her husband Adam in a trap after they consumed the fruit. We men have suffered since. Make the right decisions,” he said at Muhuri Muchiri Stadium in Ruai.

He also commissioned five new health facilities under Nairobi Metropolitan Services. Some of the facilities include Mwiki and Mihang’o health centres.

The President told off his critics, saying he will occupy the seat until the last day.

“I am not looking for votes. They are telling me to finish and go. I will do my job until the last minute,” he said.

Opposing camps

Uhuru said Raila and Karua was the best team to address the problem of corruption.

“Martha Karua is a no-nonsense lady. She will not just sit and watch as they loot this country. Once she takes over, they will be rotting in jail. She is not like me who keeps on forgiving them each and every day,” Uhuru said.

The relationship between the President and his deputy started souring after Uhuru’s Handshake with Raila in 2018. They have been going after each other since and are in opposing camps as the nation waits to vote for his successor in the next 26 days.

Yesterday, Ruto asked the President to stop shielding Raila, saying he should be left to face him alone.

“Uhuru akae kando tung’ang’ane na yeye. Hata kama anasupport yeye afanye hivyo huko kando (Let the President stand aside and let me face off with Raila. Even if he supports him, let him do that from the periphery),” said the DP during a campaign tour of Bungoma.

Meawhile, Raila and Karua took their campaigns to the Coast, where they asked voters to support them.

 Raila said he enjoys stronger support than Ruto and, therefore, the latter cannot hold a candle to him. 

“If you look at me, do I look like I can be cowed by empty threats? Between Ruto and I who has more supporters? Obviously it is me,” Raila said. 

He also reiterated his promise to ensure ignorance is eliminated by ensuring free education from primary to university level.

Raila also pledged to create employment opportunities by starting an iron smelting factory and a special economic zone in the region to complement the iron ore extracted from Kishushe quarries North of Wundanyi town. 

“We will ensure that iron is processed here… When I was the Prime Minister I stopped the extraction of Iron ore in Kishushe because it was not benefiting locals.

“Taita is endowed with wealthy resources. We will ensure the people of Taita get the desired value of the minerals,” he told a rally in Wundanyi and Voi. 

Karua asked voters to interrogate records of leaders before deciding to cast their votes next month even as she said Raila’s track record speaks for itself.

“It is very easy for leaders to promise you heaven but it is also important for you to interrogate the leaders and make the right choices based on leadership qualities and track record,” she said.

Fair   understanding

“Under Kibaki, Raila was behind policies that brought about robust infrastructural development that are currently being seen in this country,” she said.

She also promised to decisively deal with corruption if Azimio takes over the next government. 

Noting that she has a fair understanding of the problems bedeviling the country, Karua said under Azimio’s leadership, Kenya will be in safe hands.

The question of land ownership in Taveta also came up, with outgoing Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho promising to ensure irregularly acquired land would be repossessed and revert to the community.

Raila has already promised to appoint Joho as Lands Cabinet Secretary if Azimio wins next month’s elections.

“Once I am in charge of Lands, I will ensure land is returned to the community. We cannot allow this impunity to continue,” Joho said. 

Azimio la Umoja Secretary-General Junet Mohamed cautioned said Azimio will investigate land ownership in the region. 

Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako expressed confidence that Raila will clinch a majority of votes in Taita Taveta. 

“I have gone round in all wards and I want to assure you that this time round you will get 95 to 99 percent of votes,” he said. Opinion polls show Raila leading Ruto in the Coast region. Nationally, however, the two are locked in a neck-and-neck race with Raila ahead at 42 per cent popularity and Ruto at 39 per cent.

Ruto yesterday dismissed the surveys, saying they were meant to create a basis for Raila to challenge Ruto’s victory in the event that he won the presidential election.

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