Uhuru starts four-day campaign tour of five counties

President Uhuru Kenyatta addressing residents of Mumias East during a homecoming ceremony of Benjamin Washiali at his home, Kakamega County on September 30, 2017. The UhuRuto duo are from Thursday making a three-day campaign tour of five counties. PHOTO | PSCU 

What you need to know:

  • The President will kick off his latest meet-the-people tour in Kisii and Nyamira counties Thursday in his increased bid to hive off the region from Mr Odinga’s grip.
  • On Friday, President Kenyatta will return to his stronghold of Meru.
  • Last week, President Kenyatta visited the Western Kenya counties of Busia, Bungoma and Kakamega.

President Uhuru Kenyatta will today start a four-day, five-county campaign blitz ahead of the October 26 fresh presidential election pitting him and his bitter rival Raila Odinga of the National Super Alliance.

President Kenyatta, who had also resorted to meeting large delegations in State House as opposed to roadside rallies, will rally support for his re-election in Gusiiland, Central Kenya and at the Coast as the battle for State House intensifies.

He will tour Kisii, Nyamira, Nyandarua, Meru and Mombasa in the four-day whistle-stop campaign.

The President will kick off his latest meet-the-people tour in Kisii and Nyamira counties Thursday in his increased bid to hive off the region from Mr Odinga’s grip.

In 2013, President Kenyatta had almost a third of his 181, 961 total votes from Nyanza, majority being from Gusii.

KISII VOTE

In the August 8 presidential polls that were annulled by the Supreme Court, President Kenyatta garnered 106,894 votes (52.07 per cent of the votes cast) in Nyamira while in Kisii he got 175,415 votes (43.22 per cent), a staggering improvement.

On Friday, President Kenyatta will return to his stronghold of Meru where he has brokered an unlikely truce between bitter rivals Governor Kiraitu Murungi and the man he trounced in the polls, Peter Munya.

Mr Munya had defected to Mr Odinga’s Nasa but had a change of heart and has since vowed to work with Mr Murungi to shore up support for President Kenyatta.

The Head of State will on Saturday join other faithful for the Catholic Church’s national prayer day at the Subukia Shrine in Nyandarua County.

COAST REGION

From Nyandarua, the President will take his re-election campaigns to the Coast region starting with a meet-the-people tour of Mombasa County on Sunday.

“During the tours, the President will reiterate his message and vision of unity and transformation agenda that will guarantee a free, equitable, stable, inclusive and prosperous Kenya,” State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu said in a statement.

He went on: “He will also urge Kenyans to turn up in large numbers again to cast their votes to reconfirm their choice after the Supreme Court annulled his August 8 election victory without contesting the fact that he won with a significant majority.”

Last week, President Kenyatta visited the Western Kenya counties of Busia, Bungoma and Kakamega.