Back me for president, Kalonzo tells co-principals

Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka addresses a rally at Caltex grounds in Likoni on February 21, 2016. The former vice-president appealed to area residents to register as voters. PHOTO | DENNIS KAVISU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • In Awendo, Migori County, Mr Wetang’ula told Cord supporters that the coalition would remain united.
  • The Bungoma senator asked Kenyans to register as voters and warned the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission against attempting early rigging.

Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has asked co-principals in Cord to endorse his presidential bid because he is “capable of stopping rigging”.

Mr Musyoka was speaking during a rally at Maasai Grounds in Ukunda, Kwale County, on Saturday.

“If my brothers Raila Odinga and Moses Wetang’ula allow me to lead the way, Uhuru Kenyatta will be out of State House by noon. They are used to stealing Raila’s votes but they cannot do it to me,” he said.

The former vice-president appealed to area residents to register as voters.

He urged residents “not to repeat the mistake” of electing people like Lungalunga MP Khatib Mwashetani and Kwale Woman Rep Zainab Chidzuga, who are now working with the government.

Mr Musyoka said after the 2017 poll, such people would neither be in the Opposition nor home if he took over leadership of the country.

In Awendo, Migori County, Mr Wetang’ula told Cord supporters that the coalition would remain united.

He said ODM, Wiper and Ford-K had fronted them to vie for the presidency “but we are going to settle on one of us”.

“We are determined to liberate Kenyans from the yoke of corruption and tribalism,” said Mr Wetang’ula.

Wiper Secretary-General Hassan Omar said before the 2013 General Election, IEBC’s target was to register 1.8 million people at the Coast but only 1.1 million turned up.

PLEASE REGISTER
He added that out of the registered voters, only 800,000 cast their ballots.

“I know we have been disappointed by present and past regimes. We can only be free if we registered as voters and removed the current leadership,” he said.

The sentiments were echoed by National Assembly Minority Leader Francis Nyenze, Lamu Woman Rep Shakila Abdallah, Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu among others.

In Migori, Mr Wetang’ula said a united Cord would face off with Jubilee in 2017.

“We are aware that unity is our strength. Our opponents are in for a rude shock,” he said.

The Ford-K boss who was speaking at a fundraiser on Sunday said Eurobond and National Youth Service scandals had confirmed Kenyans’ worst fears that corruption was deeply entrenched in the government.

He said the current corruption was worse than what happened during the Mwai Kibaki and Daniel Moi regimes combined.

The Bungoma senator asked Kenyans to register as voters and warned the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission against “attempting early rigging”.

“This time, we will not accept and move on if we are denied victory,” he said.

TRANSFORMING KENYA
He added that the coalition was counting on its “massive” following to bring change to Kenya.

The Senate Minority Leader, who was accompanied by Migori Governor Okoth Obado, Awendo MP Jared Kopiyo and Nyamira Senator Kennedy Mong’are said he was happy that Rift Valley was drifting from Jubilee.

Governor Obado and Mr Kopiyo said they had initiated “water tight” voter registration mechanisms in their areas to make sure nobody was left out.

“We are assisting people who are unable to reach registration centres to do so,” said Mr Obado.

Migori County has more than 300,000 registered voters but another 200,000 people are being targeted in the current registration.