The ruling UDA party has vowed to penetrate Siaya county, its major rival ODM’s stronghold.
UDA Siaya party coordinator Fredrick Dor said their forays into the county for membership recruitment drives has sent jitters amongst local ODM leadership.
“There are people who are going round saying that we cannot go to some areas to conduct our activities,” Dor said.
He was speaking at Ambira High School grounds, when ICT CS Eliud Owalo toured the area.
Dor, a former parliamentary aspirant in Ugunja, said Kenya is a democratic state whose Constitution guarantees the freedom of association and movement, hence those feeling that the ruling party members have no place in Siaya are undemocratic.
“These people must remember that during the last election, more than 160,000 voters voted for UDM in Siaya,” he said, adding that this was the bloc that UDA is targeting first during their membership recruitment drives.
Dor said UDA is aiming to recruit more than 300,000 members in Siaya county by the end of the year, and urged local residents to join the ruling party.
Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo said the time for empty politics is over, adding that the Kenya Kwanza government, led by President William Ruto, is committed to changing the lives of Kenyans through focused leadership.
Owalo, who was flanked by former Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma and former Senator Rose Nyamunga, said the government is committed to revamping key economic sectors in Nyanza region to uplift the socioeconomic lives of residents.
“We will not engage in empty politicking. If we will politic in this region, it will be about helping mwananchi,” he said.