Azimio sets tongues wagging with KICC media centre
A red carpet had by Thursday afternoon been rolled out at the entrance of the Tsavo ballroom, which is expected to act as a VIP holding area and the media centre for the coalition.
The Kenyatta International Convention Centre, where the Azimio coalition has set up its media centre, is already a hive of activity as the tallying of the presidential election results continues.
The KICC has for the last two days been the scene of heightened activities as officials allied to the coalition put final touches to prepare for the announcement of presidential results.
A red carpet had by Thursday afternoon been rolled out at the entrance of the Tsavo ballroom, which is expected to act as a VIP holding area and the media centre for the coalition.
Inside the VIP holding room, an elaborate set-up of elegant seats and tables had also been made. Elected leaders, party officials and other dignitaries allied to the coalition are expected to sit at the centre. On Thursday afternoon, Azimio officials said they expected leaders to begin arriving at the venue at any time.
The KICC has for the last two days been the scene of heightened activities as officials allied to the coalition put final touches to prepare for the announcement of presidential results.
It is also from here that Azimio leader Raila Odinga is expected to address the nation shortly after the official declaration of the presidential results by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
Security around that area had also been beefed up, with access to the Tsavo Ballroom restricted to party officials, accredited journalists and those with access cards issued by the Azimio team.
And it is at the KICC that the coalition has also been holding strategy meetings involving bureaucrats, technocrats and communication specialists in preparations for the announcement of the presidential results.
Election results
This group, the Nation learnt, has been holding its meetings at the premises for a couple of days and is the team that is expected to play a key role in advising Mr Odinga on the way forward ahead of and after the release of the election results.
"This place will act as our nerve centre, and it is from here that Mr Odinga is likely to address Kenyans on the way forward after IEBC declares the winner of the presidential election," the official, a member of the Azimio strategy team, told the Nation.
The official said that all parties allied to the coalition were already holding meetings with their elected leaders, who were expected to start arriving at the centre at any time.
At the media centre, cameras, giant displays and television screens, a podium and seats have also been set up. It is from the media centre that leaders of the coalition will address the country – giving periodical updates as the vote counting continues.
"Right now, those who have won various seats will start coming to KICC as the central place. Currently, some of them are in a meeting with Jubilee secretary-general Jeremiah Kioni before they start arriving at KICC. KICC is expected to be a hive of activity in the next couple of hours," the source said.
As of Thursday afternoon, entry into the Tsavo ballroom remained limited only to authorised personnel.
Those entering the premises were also taken through rigorous security check-ups.
