President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM boss Raila Odinga will on Wednesday start a nine-day marathon campaign as they seek to turn the tables against Deputy President William Ruto.
They will popularise their new Azimio coalition in whirlwind rallies that will culminate in a mega meeting in Nairobi, where the coalition’s presidential flagbearer will be unveiled.
The rallies will be held in the Rift Valley, Nyanza, Western, Eastern, Central, Northeastern and Nairobi regions.
It is widely expected that the President, the architect behind jumbo coalition, will attend the rallies after he publicly announced he will embark on popularising the outfit.
“We will move together in this republic and after two weeks, we will come here (Nairobi) and announce our flagbearer as Azimio,” Uhuru said.
He added, “From today, you see I have put on my Azimio cap. I’m in Jubilee but from today, in mind, mouth, blood and heart (I’m in Azimio).
The President spoke during ODM’s National Delegates Convention at Kasarani on Saturday.
On Tuesday, Jubilee secretary general Jeremiah Kioni said the President will attend some of the rallies but not all owing to other state duties.
“He will be available without doubt for some of the rallies but we can't expect him to attend all the rallies. He may attend one or two,” the Ndaragua MP said.
Azimio’s first stop will be in Nakuru county, which is considered the cradle of the country’s politics.
The county seems to have been strategically selected owing to its significance in the country’s political matrix.
Though the county is fairly metropolitan, it is strategically located with most residents hailing from the President’s Mt Kenya backyard and his deputy’s Rift Valley turf.
On Thursday, the team will storm Kisii and Nyamira counties in Nyanza.
Though believed to be firmly behind Raila, DP Ruto has intensified his forays in the region in a bid to scuttle the Azimio’s grip.
The team heads to Bungoma, the home turf of Kenya Kwanza principals Moses Wetang'ula (Ford Kenya) and Musalia Mudavadi (ANC).
Raila has politically controlled the vote-rich Western region for decades but the latest development that saw Ruto, Mudavadi and Wetang'ula join forces, has jolted his grip on the area.
On Saturday, the Azimio brigade will camp in Machakos county, the home turf of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka.
Kalonzo, a partner in One Kenya Alliance has indicated intention to partner with Azimio, but on Tuesday said he would not attend the rallies until the ongoing negotiations are concluded.
The team will then move to Samburu and Wajir on Tuesday and Wednesday next week to rally the pastoralist community behind Azimio.
Azimio will then pitch tent in Raila’s Kisumu backyard on Thursday.
On Saturday, the team will convene a jumbo delegates’ convention meeting in Nairobi, where Raila is expected to be unveiled as flagbearer.
-Edited by SKanyara
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