Raila asks western voters not to be swayed by Ruto

Cord leader Raila Odinga condoles with Mzee Simon Odera husband during the burial of his wife Mama Leah Khasungu Odera on January 2, 2016 at Matioli village in Kakamega County. cord leader urged president Uhuru Kenyatta to fight corruption, starting with his deputy whom he alleged dishes public funds at harambees. PHOTO | ISAAC WALE | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• Mr Odinga challenged DP William Ruto to explain the source of huge donations he was making to churches and in fundraising meetings when touring Western and other parts of the country.
• He asked voters in Western not to be swayed by the Deputy President but remain steadfast in their support for Cord.
• The Cord leader asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to step up the fight against corruption and investigate his deputy over the huge sums of money he was donating in fund-drives.

By BENSON AMADALA
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Cord leader Raila Odinga on Saturday asked western Kenya residents to reject political overtures from Deputy President William Ruto asking them to back the Jubilee Party.

 Mr Odinga again challenged Mr Ruto to explain the source of huge donations he was making to churches and in fundraising meetings when touring Western and other parts of the country.

 “Mr Ruto is busy frequenting Western and making promises about projects the government will implement and yet they have been unable to do so in the last three years they have been in power,” said Mr Odinga.

 He asked voters in Western not to be swayed by the Deputy President but remain steadfast in their support for Cord.

 Mr Odinga said the Jubilee administration was frustrating devolution by denying counties sufficient allocations for service delivery.

“That is why we are pushing ahead with the Okoa Kenya initiative to increase allocations to counties from 15 per cent to 45 per cent,” the Cord leader said.

FIGHT CORRUPTION

 Mr Odinga spoke at Eshihembekho village in Matioli sub-location, Kakamega County, during the burial of Mama Leah Odera, the mother of plastic surgeon Prof Stanley Khainga.

He was accompanied by Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and Senator Boni Khalwale.
 The Cord leader asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to step up the fight against corruption and investigate his deputy over the huge sums of money he was donating in fund-drives in different parts of the country.

 “President Kenyatta should stop making promises about fighting corruption and instead take action against his deputy who has been traversing the whole country donating up to Sh50 million per week in fundraising meetings,” said Mr Odinga.

(READ: Raila calls for audit of Uhuru, Ruto over harambee millions)

 He said Cord was busy consolidating support in its strongholds in the country to battle it out with Jubilee in 2017.

 Governor Oparanya assured the Cord leader that he would take charge of Cord campaigns in Western as the deputy party leader to ensure the region voted for Mr Odinga as a bloc.

EMPTY PROMISES

 Dr Khalwale asked Luhyas not to be misled by empty promises from Jubilee leaders to back the party.

He said the deputy president had a right to visit the region and talk to the leaders but he should respect senior politicians and stop misleading communities to blindly support Jubilee.
Mr Ruto has been keen on projecting the former Western Province as an appendage of his Rift Valley stronghold with his eyes on the 2022 presidential election.

Save for his home turf, he has arguably made more trips to Bungoma, Trans Nzoia, Vihiga, Kakamega and Busia counties than any other region in the country.

A fortnight ago, he met a delegation of about 2500 people from the ‘Mulembe Nation’ as part of the charm offensive at his Sugoi home on Tuesday.
He bankrolled the trip.

Those familiar with the discussions held in private told the Sunday Nation that the DP tasked Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka, and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa to work on a scheme to convert the region to the Jubilee fold, a people that largely voted for Mr Odinga in 2013.