We are almost capturing the Coast, says Jubilee
Deputy President William Ruto arrives at Tononoka grounds in Mombasa to address a rally on November 20, 2016. He was accompanied by top Jubilee leaders including National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Jubilee also paraded one of its biggest political catches from the Coast — Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya.
- Mr Mvurya to addressed a Jubilee rally outside his county for the first time since he ditched ODM for the Jubilee.
- All the speakers dismissed the perception that Coast was an Opposition zone 'as a dream’.
Jubilee politicians led by Deputy Government William Ruto declared on Sunday they had made inroads at the Coast, as they held the first rally in Mombasa County since the launch of the party two months ago.
Buoyed by Sunday’s huge crowd at the rally — one of the biggest for Jubilee in Mombasa — Coast politicians and Mr Ruto made a rallying call to coast residents to vote for Jubilee in next year’s General Election, saying they would not go wrong.
A buoyant Jubilee also paraded one of its biggest political catches from the Coast — Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya.
“The Coast is ripe for Jubilee and we should all support President Kenyatta and his deputy to be re-elected because we have seen for ourselves the unprecedented development projects they have brought to our region,” Mr Mvurya told the rally at the Tononoka Grounds, Mombasa.
It was the first time for Mr Mvurya to address a Jubilee rally outside his county since he ditched ODM for the Jubilee. Mr Mvurya singled out the Sh100 billion infrastructure projects, water, and health that the Jubilee Administration had initiated, telling coast residents that more was on the way and so they had no reason to continue being in the Opposition.
All the speakers dismissed the perception that Coast was an Opposition zone 'as a dream’.
CALLED FOR JOHO REMOVAL
Leaders who addressed the rally only spoke briefly, with the Mombasa campaign team leader and aspirant for the county’s governorship, Mr Suleiman Shahbal, calling for the removal of Governor Hassan Joho, whom he accused of failing to deal with pertinent issues affecting Mombasa. He cited the drug problem, garbage, water services and creation of jobs.
“We must be serious as residents of this port city to change its image and reclaim its glory,’’ he said, dismissing Mr Joho as “not a serious leader”.
The Tononoka rally was also used to display another catch — the Dock Workers Union, whose officials Mr Ruto had met in the morning.
The union’s secretary-general, Mr Simon Sang, said : “The more than 6,000 members of this union will not just be voters for Jubilee but they will all be active voters.”
He added: “This time we have changed our strategies and we are going to align ourselves with Jubilee because we have seen how the government is working for all Kenyans”.
Another official, Mr Stanethus Omwok, said this is the first time the union has been given audience by the country’s second in command since its formation. The Deputy President assured the union that the government had no plans of privatising the Kenya Ports Authority, contrary to allegations by the Opposition.
CARRY OUT ITS MANDATE
Mr Ruto told the Opposition to keep off IEBC, saying it was a constitutional body that was independent, to carry out its mandate.
He said the Opposition was preparing its supporters to cause violence after the elections because it is aware it will lose.
“We are not ready for a contest of propaganda and malice. Kenyans do not want chaos. Let them know that IEBC is not for Cord but a constitutional independent body mandated to carry out a free and fair election,’’ said Mr Ruto.
Before the DP spoke, Majority Leader Aden Duale had claimed: “Raila has already sensed defeat and wants to cause chaos so that there can be a coalition government where he can be the prime minister.”
The Tononoka rally was a climax of a busy programme in which Mr Ruto criss-crossed four counties, holding harambees for women and youth groups, where millions of shillings was raised. He donated Sh1 million to the Soul Harvest Ministry in Nyali on Sunday morning.
He also inspected projects funded by the national government.
It was a tight programme for him in Mombasa, which included separate meetings with members of the Dock Workers Union.
Mr Ruto told off those criticising his donations to churches, saying he was brought up in a Christian family and would not stop giving to the needy.
The workers, through a memorandum handed to the DP by Mr Sang, demanded the reinstatement of 28 workers, a review of promotion process based not only on academic qualification but experience and the adoption of a modern port model as in Singapore, Dubai and Durban.
