Mudavadi camps in Raila home turf

Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi took his campaign to Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s Nyanza backyard where he sold himself as a clean, untainted leader fit to succeed President Kibaki.

His rivals for the presidency, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, were campaigning in Turkana and in Kilgoris, Trans Mara, respectively.

Mr Odinga, who is in China, has sent a campaign team to Europe and Asian to woo the 3.8 million diaspora votes. Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, who on Thursday met members of the East African Legislative Assembly, will this weekend campaign in Nairobi.

Narc-Kenya presidential aspirant Martha Karua answered questions from the public through Twitter and vowed to fight corruption as she did during her stint in the Cabinet.

The hunt for votes appears to have moved into top gear with some political parties inviting aspirants to apply for nomination in line with the datelines set by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

Starting his presidential campaign in Kuria, Migori County and the backyard of Mr Odinga, Mr Mudavadi, who is running on a United Democratic Forum (UDF) party ticket, said most of his rivals had some questions hanging over them.

The aspirant, accompanied by MPs George Nyamweya, Jeremiah Kioni, and Manala Keya, was optimistic of winning the presidency in the first round.

“I reflect the aspirations of most Kenyans, who would want to see a peaceful and stable country, where leaders address real issues and not rhetoric,” Mr Mudavadi said.

He spoke in Kehancha, Kegonga, Ntimaru, Isebania and Mabera trading centers, promising that if elected, his government would beef up security and fight crime.

“I will engage on a programme to recruit substantial number of police officers every year in a bid to meet the internationally accepted ratio of one policeman against 400 citizens as opposed to our current situation where we have about 4,000 people for one policeman,” he said.

Mr Kenyatta promised if elected to make sure that the residents of Turkana benefited from the resources in their areas.

The National Alliance presidential aspirant said the recent oil discovery in the area, though a national heritage, should be explored in a way that benefits area residents directly. He is on a three-day tour of the region.

“Your sons and daughters must get jobs as a priority,” Mr Kenyatta said referring to the oil discovery.

Boosting education in marginalised and arid areas would be a priority in the TNA manifesto, Mr Kenyatta said. More schools would be built and many would get boarding facilities, he said adding that this was the only way to ensure the region’s residents “take their rightful place in national affairs and benefit in the new dispensation”.

Mr Kenyatta addressed local leaders, councillors and electoral aspirants at the district commissioner’s office, a local hotel and at Baraza park in Lokori, Turkana East.

Mr Ruto, the United Republican Party (URP) presidential aspirant, began his three-day tour of the South Rift with a promise to Trans Mara residents that his government would transform the area and give employment opportunities to locals.

He said his party would embark on boosting the economy through tourism, noting that the region’s tourism potential should be exploited.

“I applaud the locals for helping jumpstart the sugar mills in the region while I was Agriculture minister,” he said.

Mr Odinga, who is expected in London in 10 days, dispatched an advance team to prepare the ground for his planned diaspora campaigns in various cities in Britain.

The team, led by Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara and other members of the Friends of Raila, left the country on Thursday to join the lobby’s London branch officials for a series of activities.

The PM is also likely to be confronted with questions regarding the controversial issues raised by his former aide Mr Miguna Miguna in his book, Peeling Back the Mask.

The book is on sale in major bookshops in London where the publisher has been marketing it.

Currently, three key FORA officials, Micah Kigen (chairman), Eliud Owalo (secretary general) and Dick Oneko (executive director) are in Beijing, China engaging Kenyans living there.

Ms Karua defended her record in Cabinet saying she did what was within her powers to fight graft.

She also told Kenyans to join forces in fighting corruption. Terming it her priority if elected president, Ms Karua said the country’s leadership lacked the will to fight corruption and the public must make leaders more accountable.

“I did all I could (while in government) to articulate policy. Prosecution belonged to the Attorney-General and investigations to the police,” Ms Karua said.

She was responding to questions from the public during her weekly “#AskMarthThurs” on Twitter, a social networking site.

Reports by Elisha Otieno, Oliver Mathenge, Isaac Ongiri and Kurian Musa