ODM's Raila Odinga changes tack in hunt for votes

ODM leader Raila Odinga has renewed his targeted campaign activities as he looks to consolidate his political base while pushing a strategy to capture regions like Mt Kenya in his fifth stab at the presidency.

After spending most of the last three years promoting the stillborn agenda to amend the constitution through the Building Bridges Initiative, he has now embarked on marketing himself to voters ahead of the 2022 elections.

There is a new campaign platform, ‘Azimio la Umoja’ (Declaration of Unity) with the slogan inawezekana (it is possible) and a renewed energy in the former prime minister.

The ‘Azimio la Umoja’ is meant to a counter Deputy President William Ruto’s ‘hustler nation’ movement, with the ODM leader stating that any meaningful development must be preceded by unity among the people.

“Our unity is our wealth and it is our strength as a people and we must promote unity in diversity as the people of Kenya,” he said at Chungwa House on Friday as he received defectors to the party from Narok, Tharaka-Nithi, Embu, Marsabit and Mandera counties.

Activity-packed schedule

Mr Odinga now has an activity-packed schedule, involving meetings with business people and professionals from the mountain region which has often been hostile to him. As part of that outreach, he is also making contacts with some senior politicians from the region like Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi.

Chungwa House and Capitol Hill offices have also become a beehive of activity as Mr Odinga welcomes new members to the orange party and hosts delegations to deliberate on alliances for the 2022 elections.

“We are in an election season and every political formation and party is putting their house in order. What you are seeing is but a dress rehearsal. The main game is coming,” ODM’s secretary for political affairs, who is also the Ugunja MP, Mr Opiyo Wandayi, told the Sunday Nation.

Besides, there are the popularisation tours, or what his allies call “consultations with communities and counties” which started with the regional meeting in Sikri in Oyugis, Homa Bay County in August. After a brief break during which he travelled to Zambia for the inauguration of the new president, Mr Odinga this week hits the road again as popularisation tour bus heads to Kakamega.

Meeting with governors

The ODM leader on Friday held a meeting with governors from Western namely Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega), Wilbur Ottichilo (Vihiga), James Ongwae (Kisii), Wycliffe Wangamati (Bungoma) and Sospeter Ojaamong (Busia).

Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, who attended the meeting at Capitol Hill offices, told the Nation that among other things, the meeting was called to plan for the Kakamega meeting.

“Friday’s meeting was very good and productive. We are planning for the future knowing that western is an ODM stronghold. We want to strengthen our strongholds. Out of the four counties three are ODM governors — namely Kakamega, Vihiga and Busia. The fourth one, Bungoma, was elected on Ford Kenya but is working with us,” said Mr Mohamed.

After the Kakamega meeting, Mr Odinga is expected to head to the coast for a similar meeting, as he seeks to keep the region firmly in his column amid efforts by Dr Ruto to chip away some of his support.

Reactivate old networks

Besides the popularisation tours, Mr Odinga’s now packed diary has seen him meet business leaders and politically influential people from Kiambu County as he seeks to reactivate old networks he has in the region. Before the Zambia visit, there were plans for him to make a two-day visit to Nyeri, also to meet with professionals and business leaders.

Meanwhile, he met professionals and business leaders from Mount Kenya east region on Thursday, including Governor Murungi who now says he will campaign for Mr Odinga.

“We are the ones who demonised Raila so that Kibaki could win. We are the ones who demonised Raila so that Uhuru could win. From my position and the roles I played I can tell you that there is nothing wrong with Raila. We had to make him black so that we can win,” he said when he led the Meru professionals and business leaders to a meeting with Mr Odinga on Thursday in Nairobi.

Unlike in previous efforts when he has often run his campaign as an outsider against a strong pro-state candidates, the wind seem to be blowing in his favour this time round in so far as his relations with the establishment is concerned courtesy of the March 2018 ‘handshake’ with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Birth of BBI

After the bitterly divisive 2017 elections, the two leaders came together and announced a new partnership which they said was meant to unite Kenyans. It was also the birth of the BBI which now lies in a coma after both the High Court and the Court of Appeal declared it unconstitutional for reasons of procedure and content.

“Politics is about strategy. The BBI was and remains important though circumstances have made us disengage from it for now. Right now we are engaged in more strategic things, which is to prepare for elections,” said Mr Wandayi.

Allies of Dr Ruto like Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro however are dismissing Mr Odinga’s political moves as heading nowhere, arguing that the mountain region is solidly behind the deputy president.