William Ruto to popularise UDA in Raila Odinga's Nyanza backyard
Deputy President William Ruto will visit Kisumu this month as he seeks to make inroads in Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga’s home turf.
Top officials of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party on Saturday camped at Kisumu as they spearheaded a recruitment drive for members and aspirants ahead of the August 9 General Election.
UDA Executive Director Odanga Pessa said the move is part of the initiative aimed at boosting the popularity of the wheelbarrow party in Luo Nyanza.
“The party leader has sent me to relay information that he will meet his supporters at Nyalunya Primary School in Central Kolwa Ward before the end of this month,” he said.
“Just like the biblical story of Jonah, I have come to lay the ground and find out the needs of the people from this region before his scheduled visit,” he said after meeting women small-scale traders at UDA office in Kisumu.
Deputy President William Ruto (right) and Governor Okoth Obado address a roadside rally in Awendo, Migori County, on September 25, 2021.
Mr Pessa, while appealing to the residents to register as UDA members, assured them that DP Ruto is best placed to tackle the challenges faced by Small and Medium-sized Enterprises as anchored in his bottom-up economic model.
“Through our approach, we are cognisant of the role played by players in the SMEs to jumpstart Kenya’s economy and provide a long-lasting solution to millions of Kenyans,” he said.
He said that DP Ruto’s visit will provide traders with an opportunity to sit down with him and see how their businesses can be boosted.
“You should not be influenced by politics of tribalism that has continued to keep you at the periphery while other areas are being developed,” he said.
The team will work with Migori Governor Okoth Obado who is the pointman for Dr Ruto, working closely with Nyanza coordinator Eliud Owalo.
UDA youth coordinator Victor Ayugi said they have so far registered 5,800 members in the last two months in Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori.
John Zatta addressing women small-scale traders during a meeting at UDA office at Central Kolwa in Kisumu County on October 9, 2021.
Mr Ayugi called on the youth to take advantage of the ongoing mass voter registration by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Rongo MP aspirant John Zatta called on members of the Luo community not to feel intimidated or threatened to vote in a particular way.
“We are calling on our supporters to stand firm and feel free to vote for candidates or parties of their choice,” he said.
Mr Zatta said that the enthusiastic reception accorded to DP Ruto at Kondele in Kisumu during his last visit when he attended Madaraka Day celebrations is a clear sign that the ground is shifting from Mr Odinga.
In an uncharacteristic excitement, the youth blocked the DP’s motorcade after the celebrations led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Odinga.
