Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga (left) and President William Ruto.
From more government appointments to the completion of “handshake” projects and political partnership ahead of the General Election in 2027, Nyanza has a wish list for President William Ruto as he begins his much-anticipated tour of the region with opposition Azimio la Umoja One Kenya alliance chief Raila Odinga.
Leaders from the region say they will present a memorandum detailing the issues they want addressed by the President.
The fact that President Ruto is expected to officially present Mr Odinga, his once bitter critic and rival in the last General Election, as the country’s candidate for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission next week, has soothed the opposition leader’s backyard.
The event will be on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, marking the official launch of Mr Odinga’s campaign for the continental post.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader has indicated taking a back seat from local politics.
For a region that has felt left out by successive governments for decades, there are expectations from residents, political leaders and opinion leaders who feel that the present government has shown goodwill towards Nyanza.
From Wednesday, the President will have a packed schedule as he embarks on a four-day tour of Nyanza, a region that was hostile to him before and after the August 9, 2022, General Election.
The visit comes barely weeks after Dr Ruto appointed two allies of Mr Odinga and members of the ODM to his cabinet. Then-Ugunja MP and Leader of Minority in the National Assembly Opiyo Wandayi was named Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum while Nominated MP and ODM chairman John Mbadi now heads the National Treasury and Economic Planning Ministry.
Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang told the SaturdayNation that as in past engagements, elected leaders in the region would present a memorandum they expect will guide the agenda of President Ruto’s visit.
“We want a review of the implementation of past memorandums. We will also take the opportunity to thank the President and celebrate the appointment of our leaders to the Cabinet,” the senator said.
“Despite the political bromance, we must agree to respect diversity of opinion and positive criticism. We will criticise the government if it comes up with misguided policies. Speaking truth to the powers-that-be is in our DNA.”
Sugarcane farmers want roads and other infrastructure, cane pricing, privatisation of millers and cane testing be given priority by Dr Ruto.
“We expect the President to address cane pricing, the leasing of sugar factories to private investors and cane testing units. Farmers need to be paid, based on sucrose content and weight of their cane,” Mr Richard Ogendo, a farmer and secretary-general of the Kenya Sugarcane Growers Association, said.
“We also want the President to speed up the completion of roads in the Nyando sugar belt.”
Government positions
The Kisumu resident also hopes the Koru-Soin dam, which has stalled for many years as well as other projects initiated during the President Uhuru Kenyata-Raila Odinga handshake era will be completed.
These include the Mamboleo-Miwani-Chemelil-Kispitet road, which is the main route used by lorries and tractors transporting sugarcane to millers.
Mr Steve Mwamba, a resident of Ugenya, Siaya County and an ally of the President, said he expects Dr Ruto to prioritise completion and improvement of roads as the region rolls out the red carpet for him.
“With the President’s visit, we expect the more than 100 kilometres of the Kisumu-Busia road to be upgraded and resurfaced,” Mr Mwamba told the Saturday Nation.
“We used these roads when President Ruto was the MP for Eldoret North. I encourage him to use the roads instead of helicopters during his visit.”
Mr Ogendo wants President Ruto be welcomed by all, including those who joined the government before the recent appointments.
There are fears that some politicians who had joined Dr Ruto earlier are being pushed out of the government and their places taken by Mr Odinga’s allies who want to control the tour.
But there is a general call for unity among leaders across the political divide.
“Everyone is an insider. Let us focus on things that will improve our people’s lives through the President’s bottom-up transformation agenda,” Mr Ogendo said.
The sentiments were echoed by Mr Joshua Nyamori, an advocate and political commentator.
Mr Nyamori said the people of Nyanza have always felt marginalised by past governments.
He added that the situation has changed in recent days, with expectations raised as the President visits.
“Officially unveiling Mr Odinga on August 27 as a candidate for the AU Commission chairmanship and the start of the President tour is testimony that Dr Ruto is clearly looking for partnership,” Mr Nyamori said.
He added that the appointment of ODM leaders to the Cabinet has further excited the region, even as locals hope for more government positions.
“Mr Odinga says he is taking a sabbatical from local politics to focus on his continental effort, so Ruto is coming to a population that is not expecting a presidency. Nyanza residents will give him an ear,” he said.
The advocate is one of the beneficiaries of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
He was named by Dr Ruto a director on the National Housing Corporation Board.
President Ruto also toured Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori counties last year.
However, the present visit is different as he will be hosted by the ODM leader, a political development just two years after a hotly contested and controversial election.
He was in Nyamira and Kisii counties launching projects last week.
On Wednesday August 28, President Ruto will be at Lower Kuja Irrigation Scheme in Nyatike where he is expected to launch the construction of roads in Kuria East and West constituencies.
According to Migori Governor Ochillo Ayacko’s press team, the President would make pronouncements on the stalled Masara-Muhuru and Masara-Soti roads.
The following day, Dr Ruto and Mr Odinga will be in Suba South, Homa Bay County, for Mr Mbadi’s homecoming ceremony.
The two leaders will be in Ugunja, Siaya County, for a homecoming event for Mr Wandayi on Friday.
Last Friday, Mr Wandayi held a thanksgiving ceremony at his home, which was attended by the Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo and other leaders from Siaya County.
It was during the event at his residence in Sijimbo village that he announced a bigger ceremony “soon”.
“What we are having today is a prayer to thank God for what he has done for me and the people of Ugunja,” Mr Wandayi told the gathering.
“We will have a homecoming in the next few weeks where the President and Mr Odinga will be present.”
In previous visits to the region, Dr Ruto and the organisers of the tours had a tough time.
Many locals openly expressed hostility towards the President.
Until recently, the region could not stand a group of ODM lawmakers who chose to work with the government. They faced hostility even in their constituencies.
The “pariahs” now say the opposition’s decision to join the government has vindicated them.
In a direct attack on the President for courting elected Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition leaders, Siaya Governor James Orengo told Dr Ruto not to kill multi-party democracy.
In response, President Ruto said he would not destroy pluralism, even as he later formed what he called a broad-based government that included opposition figures.
His clarion call to the people of Nyanza at the time was that they supported him as they had rallied behind Mr Odinga when he was appointed Prime Minister way back in 2008.
Unlike a few months ago, Mr Wandayi, Mr Mbadi and other ODM leaders who were once critics of Dr Ruto are now eagerly awaiting Dr Ruto’s tour.
They have changed tunes and heaped praises on the President and Mr Odinga, saying their appointments have elevated the status of the region.
Alego Usonga MP Sam Atandi said Nyanza is now part of the government and will work to ensure that it delivers.
Mr Atandi added that the appointment of Mr Mbadi, Mr Wandayi and others to senior government positions shows President Ruto loves the region.
He urged his supporters to give the government of the day ample time to deliver on its election pledges.
Mr Wandayi even hinted at a new political dispensation for the region in the coming years, which he said began with their inclusion in government.
While he did not reveal the exact plan, the Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary stressed that the region would never be left out of government again.
“Watch this space. The journey of 1,000 miles begins with one step. The region has taken the decision to work with the government today, tomorrow and in the future,” Mr Wandayi said.
“It is our hope that never again will be out of future governments.”
There has been speculation about the pact between Mr Odinga and President Ruto, with some saying that the ODM is planning to work with the ruling United Democratic Alliance Party in 2027.
