President Kenyatta, Ruto call for unity in Nyanza

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto on Wednesday stormed opposition chief Raila Odinga’s backyard with a call for national unity ahead of the elections.

The visit to Homa Bay and Kisumu counties may not change how residents vote but it was a show for the Head of State to market himself as a unifying President.

“It is everyone’s right to seek votes from you,” President Kenyatta told a crowd at Mbita as he opened a Sh1.5 billion bridge built by the Chinese.

“But we are campaigning on the basis of national development.”

BENEFITED

The two areas voted overwhelmingly for Mr Odinga in 2013, but the Jubilee duo was there to argue that everyone had benefited from its leadership.

And although the President was warmly welcomed, his deputy received the occasional jeer from the crowd.

At the launch of a brewery in Kisumu, the crowd even refused to have him speak, drowning his introductory remarks in jeers.

A crowd gathered at the Kenya Breweries gate in an attempt at continuing with the heckling was dispersed by police.

TUJU

Accompanied by Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter and his Defence colleague Raychelle Omamo, as well as Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju, MPs James Rege (Karachuonyo) and Ken Obura (Kisumu Central) and Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot, the two leaders told residents any number of their votes will do.

In Homa Bay, where he was visiting for the first time since 2013, the President opened the Mbita-Rusinga bridge in Mbita town.

The bridge is an alternative to the Mbita Causeway, which environmentalists argued was damaging Lake Victoria.

FREE MATERNITY

“We will not discriminate against anyone, even if you did not vote for us,” said President Kenyatta.

“That will be your choice. But we will not stop developing the country.”

The two leaders fronted free maternity, subsidised education and infrastructure projects to buttress their claim. 

“No parent will be charged for their children’s fee from Form 1 to Form 4,” said the President, revisiting the controversial debate on free secondary education, as he called for politics of tolerance. “We plead for your votes. If you give us, it is okay; if you don’t, it is still okay. Give me those votes ... even if few.”

PEACE

He told an enthusiastic crowd near the main bus park in the lakeside city of Kisumu that elections were a one-day event and urged Kenyans to maintain peace and avoid hate.

“Let us not burn our country because of elections,” said the President. “If we do so, we shall have nowhere to go because this is our only home.”

Earlier, at the Ahero junction, as he commissioned construction of Ahero-Kisii-Isebania road, the President outlined his government’s development projects, saying he was committed to improving all regions.

“Our plea is unity to foster development,” he said. “We want to unite all Kenyans regardless of tribe, race or religion.

TRIBAL POLITICS

“Peace is our main concern. Peace, peace, peace. We must remember that we had Kenya before elections and shall have it afterwards, so we must maintain peace.”

President Kenyatta said tribal politics would polarise the nation and was of no benefit.

“Tribalism cannot help you in anything except in securing you a wife; nothing else,” he told the Suba community.

Amid jeers, Mr Ruto hit out at Homa Bay leaders allied to the opposition who had warned him against visiting the county.

TOM ALILA

“Kuna jamaa mwingine alisema ati Ruto asikuje Homa Bay. Kwani yeye ndiye ameombea Raila kura kuliko mimi? Mimi ndio nimeombea Raila kura kuliko Kajwang’. Awache maneno….., (Somebody said Ruto should not come to Homa Bay. Has he sought more votes for Raila than I did? I got Raila more votes than Kajwang’. Let him keep quiet),” said Mr Ruto, in reference to Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’.

Mr Kajwang’ had said the President was welcome to the region but not his deputy.

The Nyanza region Jubilee presidential campaign team head, Karachuonyo MP James Rege, and the party’s governor nominee, Mr Tom Alila, and other leaders asked residents to back the President’s re-election bid.

“He has brought development to this region,’’ said Mr Rege.

 Reports by Barack Oduor, Justus Ochieng and Ruth Mbula