Raila’s new strategy in BBI push

ODM leader Raila Odinga has crafted a new strategy that will see him roll out town hall meetings across the country as he seeks to solidify his support base and push grassroots campaign for the BBI. 

The new game plan, sources say, partly aims to checkmate Deputy President William Ruto, who has been making thrusts into Mr Odinga’s perceived strongholds, and counter the DP’s anti-BBI crusade.

In the new approach dubbed ‘Kikao’, Mr Odinga will tour counties that have traditionally supported him to listen to his supporters as local leaders give reports on their progress in development and service delivery.

This latest move is part of a wider scheme with President Kenyatta, his March 9, 2018 ‘handshake’ partner, who is also planning to neutralise the DP’s anti-BBI charges in regions the Head of State enjoys wide support.

Still, in critical bastions held by his political rivals, a Raila ally told the Nation, the ODM leader is scheming to use the “consultative” meetings to make inroads as he seeks to fill his 2022 vote basket.

Several other issues

Last weekend, Mr Odinga was in Kakamega, hosted by ODM deputy leader Wycliffe Oparanya. He addressed MCAs and drummed up support for the BBI report that’s expected to be released by month-end.

“BBI is not just about constitutional amendments, but it seeks to address several other issues that affect Kenyans,” Mr Odinga told Kakamega leaders.

Tomorrow, Mr Odinga is expected in Taita-Taveta for similar meetings.

His visit comes barely a week after Mr Ruto hosted leaders at the Lumo Conservancy in Mwatate, where he met over 400 religious and political leaders.

“We shall be hosting Mr Odinga on Wednesday and Thursday, where he will tour several projects and also have meetings with the county political leadership and also residents in [the] town hall set-up,” Taita Taveta County Director of Communication Dennis Onsarigo told the Nation.

The Nation understands that the ‘Kikao’ programme will be an “assessment of the promises the opposition party made to its people, and [is] being implemented through counties.

Civil society

“These meetings will give the youth and civil society a platform to raise concerns close to their hearts as we must let our people tell us what’s wrong with our approach to issues and also commend what is working so far,” an ODM MP working on the new plan told the Nation.

Mr Odinga is also said to prefer this town hall-meeting approach to lay ground for the implementation of the BBI report ahead of its official release.

The meetings mirror what the DP has been having at his Karen and Sugoi residences. The DP has also started reaching out to other parts of the country as the Covid-19 restrictions ease.

“This is a party that’s preparing for the future,” ODM Director of Elections Junet Mohamed told the Nation. “We are indeed laying the groundwork for 2022, together with other coalitions and partners willing to work with us.”

ODM National Chairman John Mbadi said there was nothing wrong with the party leader holding consultative meetings as the coronavirus curve “flattens”, according to Health ministry.

“We’re yet to release a full a programme on the meetings, but he [Raila] has picked on a few areas to visit as a start,” Mr Mbadi said.

ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna said the party was revamping ahead of their “grand match” to State House in 2022, even though the focus now is on executing the BBI report.

Analysts now say Mr Odinga’s new approach is geared directly at blocking DP Ruto, who has made indications of opposing the referendum drive, from “eating into his bases and poisoning the country against the report.”

Religious leaders

A fortnight ago, the DP was in Mombasa, where he used meetings with religious leaders as his launch pad to oppose the BBI.

The DP, who only appeared in public at Kongowea, Nyali Constituency, opted to hold private meetings during his tour where he met both religious and women leaders. He urged them to push for the implementation of the Constitution rather than “making changes to suit few individuals.”

Political analyst Herman Manyora says that since the BBI report is about to be released, Mr Odinga is preparing the country and wants to solidify his bases in preparation for “a referendum and his 2022 presidential bid.”

“He is laying ground and basically, it is preparation for the BBI, which is about to be released, and we are likely going to have a referendum as quickly as possible.”

Raila “is preparing for that so that while President Kenyatta will be working on some zones, he will be working on others,” Prof Manyora told Nation.

Very frightening

The DP, the analyst said, has been “penetrating the ground in a very frightening way; a way that gives them [Uhuru and Raila] worries...”

Prof Manyora stated that Mr Odinga was keen on maintaining his usual bastions tightly in his grip and that could be the reason he has launched the meetings ahead of the BBI release and his 2022 stab at the presidency.

In regions like Western and Coast, Mr Manyora noted, “the leadership has not been very forthright on BBI.”

“That kind of indecision among leaders leaves the ground open to assault and that’s why [the] DP is capitalising on that,” he added.

The DP, he said, has “very serious sub-shooters on the ground” hence Mr Odinga must make sure he does not take the ground in preparation for the referendum and his possible 2022 bid.

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