Muranga County leaders have convened a high level meeting ahead of Azimio La Umoja Presidential hopeful Raila Odinga major rally on Saturday.
Raila’s visit to Muranga comes hot on the heels of Sunday’s decision by Deputy President William Ruto and Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi newfound dalliance which political pundits say is likely to cost DP Ruto’s support in Mt Kenya region.
Speakers at the Monday January 24 meeting include Muranga Woman Representative Sabina Chege, former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, Royal Media Services Chairman SK Macharia and a number of Muranga MPs.
The former Prime Minister has aggressively begun to assemble his 2022 political machine to steady his bastions and conquer new territory. He has already won the support of Mt Kenya Foundation, a group consisting of tycoon businessmen drawn from various Mt Kenya counties.
In what is seen as a do-or-die contest against DP Ruto, Raila’s plan is to confine Ruto to his Rift Valley backyard as they scramble for the Mt Kenya vote bloc.
Raila is moving swiftly to try and consolidate the Central Kenya voting base ahead of the 2022 general elections.
On January 15 he held a very successful rally in Thika’s Green Stadium in which locals vowed to throw their weight behind his quest for the presidency in the August 9 polls.
For the first time, the former prime minister is facing the 2022 elections with a friendly system and most likely the backing of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Over the past few weeks, Raila has held several strategy meetings with top political leaders across the country among them 30 governors who vowed to support his fifth stab at the presidency
He has also met key opinion leaders at the grassroots and unleashed his own transformation agenda to counter Ruto’s economic model.
On Sunday Raila addressed various political rallies in Nakuru where he called on residents to support transformative agenda and unity among various Kenyan communities.
Part of his plan is to conquer Central Kenya, a region that has perennially voted against him and is seen as gravitating towards Ruto.
In his team are veteran city politician Maina Kamanda, MPs Jude Njomo (Thika Town), Kanini Kega (Kieni), Peter Mwathi (Limuru) and CAS Rachael Shebesh.
Last week, Raila unveiled his agenda to unlock rural economies and to ensure a fully industrialised Kenya.
Last week Raila toured Homabay, Migori, Narok and Nakuru where the former prime minister narrowed his rural transformation narrative to regions to woo local voters.
The approach is not only seen as Raila’s grand plan to win over voters but is also viewed as a deliberate move to counter Ruto’s hustler narrative.
