Raila reschedules tour of western Kenya

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga has rescheduled his four-day tour of western Kenya.

It will now take place a week after President Uhuru Kenyatta’s visit, expected to begin on August 30.

Though the ODM team on Monday said the reason for postponing the tour was other engagements, those in the know say President Kenyatta’s planned visit might have played a hand.

Mr Odinga’s visit was to start on Monday and end on Friday.

That ODM has scheduled Mr Odinga’s rallies to just a few days after Mr Kenyatta’s visit goes to show the extent to which Cord and Jubilee are ready to go for a pie of the region’s votes.

ODM political affairs director Opiyo Wandayi said the visit was rescheduled because Mr Odinga had other commitments.

 “We have rescheduled the Kakamega rallies that were to be addressed by our party leader to a tentative date of early September because of other intervening matters,” Mr Wandayi who is also the Ugunja MP said.

Just over a month ago, Mr Odinga was in the vote-rich region for four days.

The July 18-22 rallies came hot on the heels of an internal revolt in ODM that saw the resignation of Secretary-General Ababu Namwamba and Vice-Chairman Paul Otuoma.

Western Kenya is seen as a swing vote and as the country gears up for the 2017 General Election. The interest in the region keeps increasing.

The region is also home to Mr Odinga’s Cord co-principal Moses Wetang’ula and Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi who have declared interest in the presidency.

Last weekend, Central Organisation of Trade Unions Secretary-General Francis Atwoli hosted Mr Mudavadi to push for the region to back a person from western for the State House job.

In his tour last month, Mr Odinga told the region’s residents that the government was giving them a raw deal.

He asked them to vote for ODM in the six elective positions in 2017, a statement that did not go down well with Mr Wetang’ula.