DP tours Kisumu in vote hunt

Deputy President William Ruto will this weekend camp in Kisumu and Busia for two days in his relentless bid to popularise Jubilee in Cord strongholds.

The DP has in the recent past been visiting Western and Gusii land to lure the regions that voted overwhelmingly for Raila Odinga, to Jubilee ahead of 2017.

Mr Ruto has visited Western Kenya more than 15 times this year alone.

On Saturday he will launch various development projects in Busia and address a public rally at Amagoro Primary School.

He will then head to Butula where he is expected to preside over a fundraiser at Bukhalarire Secondary School.

The DP’s visit in Busia is set to renew fresh push and pull between him and both ODM party leader Raila Odinga and Budalang'i MP Ababu Namwamba.

Mr Ruto a few months ago claimed responsibility for rocking the ‘Orange boat’ at a time that Mr Namwamba and a handful of MPs ditched ODM.

Later, Mr Odinga rallied his troops to Busia County to consolidate his support.

Currently, Mr Namwamba has hit the road popularizing his new outfit Labour Party of Kenya (LPK) where he is the leader, veteran journalist David Makali the secretary-general and Julia Ojiambo the chairperson.

Mr Ruto’s visit to Busia comes barely a week after he toured Kakamega County for two days to drum up support for jubilee party ahead of 2017 election.

During his visit, the DP asked members of the Luhya community to abandon Mr Odinga saying he has no development agenda for the community.

Before that, the Deputy President will be joining Cord co-principal Moses Wetang'ula and Baringo Senator Gideon Moi and a host of politicians at the funeral of Kisumu West legislator Olago Aluoch’s daughter in Kisumu.

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Nyanza Interim Jubilee Party Chairman Zuberi Liete confirmed that the DP will be in Kisumu by 10 in the morning to attend the funeral.

“I am asking residents to come out in large numbers and welcome our DP, the same way Mr Odinga has been warmly received in other regions in the country,” said Mr Liete.

The Jubilee officials said the DP will be accompanied by national Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale, Senators Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet) and Joy Gwendo (Nominated).

The funeral ceremony will be held on Saturday at Mamboleo Showground from 10 am, while the body will be laid to rest less than two kilometers away at the family home at St Paul’s Hill Kanyakwar, Kisumu West.

Ms Joyce Atieno Aluoch, who was serving as a clerk at the Senate under the Energy and delegation committee chaired by Mr Moi, died on a road accident on October 8 on Magadi Road while driving home.

Also expected at the funeral is Ida Odinga, wife to former premier Raila Odinga who is currently in the United Kingdom to address students, scholars, public service officials and political leaders at the London Metropolitan University during the opening of the London Political Summit 2016.

Mr Odinga was to give a talk on “The Place of Opposition in a Hostile Political environment".

On Sunday, Mr Ruto will be presiding over a harambee at Catholic Church Chiga Parish in Kisumu East.

Senator Gwendo - who will be the host - said after the farmers’ day she launched a year ago, cotton farmers from Kisumu east came together to start a cooperative society.

“Being the patron of the society, I believe the fundraiser will boost the farmers and expedite efforts to revive the textile industry,” said Ms Gwendo.

She said DP’s visit is purely for development purposes.

“Kisumu residents should welcome our Deputy President. Play less politics and learning to co-exist with each other is our sure way of developing this region to greater heights,” said Ms Gwendo.

Mr Ruto has been criticized by opposition leaders for carrying out fundraisers in the Cord strongholds questioning the source of all the money he uses every weekend to raise funds for various entities.