ODM keen to regain Rift Valley
Prime Minister Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party is already working on plans to win back the Rift Valley vote ahead of the next year’s polls.
Cabinet minister Dalmas Otieno said the moves are already bearing fruit with the locals revolting against their rebel leaders who were seeking to “take them to unholy and unworkable alliances”.
“And the revolt will be growing bigger as the 2012 General Election draws closer,” the minister said.
“We decided to engage directly with people at the grassroots level and they are already seeing the light. The rebel leaders will get into those alliances alone with no people behind them,” Mr Otieno of the Public Service docket, said in Awendo District.
Run-off
He talked of a probability of a run-off in the event all the presidential candidates reached the ballot box.
“None of them may garner the constitutional 50 plus one per cent in the final tally and this will prompt a run–off between our captain Raila Odinga and his number two who will most likely be Mr Uhuru Kenyatta. We will then know what to tell Kenyans to turn tables at that time,” Mr Otieno explained.
He said Mr Odinga stood a better chance of becoming the country’s fourth president due to his track record in fighting for good governance and human rights.
Mr Otieno later seemed to bury hatchet with his long time political enemy Mr Ochillo Ayacko following the proposed split of Rongo Constituency.
Mr Ayacko will now battle it out in Awendo constituency while Mr Otieno will remain in Rongo.
The two leaders were at ease with each other when they met at the funeral of a retired chief, Mr Ochere Bim with their supporters mingling freely.
Although security was tight at the funeral, no ugly incident was witnessed. Previously, a meeting between the two protagonists at public functions degenerated into insults and violence.
