Divisions have emerged among leaders from Nyanza ahead of President William Ruto’s four-day visit to the region, the backyard of Azimio leader Raila Odinga.
While the Kenya Kwanza Nyanza team has been actively preparing for the visit, Raila’s allies said they were “unaware” and called for its cancellation, citing the ethnic clashes that rocked Sondu on the Kericho-Kisumu boundary on the Tuesday night. Three people were killed in the skirmishes.
Over the last week, the President’s allies have held a series of meetings with residents to woo them to give the head of State a warm reception during the tour that starts tomorrow.
Yesterday, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leaders from Nyanza and key government and State officers traversed Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori counties urging the local community to give the President a warm reception.
Among those who have been preparing the ground for the tour is the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication and the Digital Economy, Eliud Owalo and Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo. Owalo pitched camp in Siaya, his backyard, and the neighboring Kisumu County, while Omollo coordinated teams from Migori and Homa Bay.
“The President is coming here purely on a development tour,” the Interior PS said. “He will commission a number of development projects and initiate new ones.’’
Some of the projects the President is scheduled to launch include roads, fisheries and marine infrastructure expected to unlock the region’s social and economic potential. They include the Kabonyo-Kanyagwal Fish Processing Plant, Koru-Bible College Road, Commissioning of the Lake Basin Mall and a new vessel, MV Uhuru 2.
However, speaking in Nairobi yesterday, over 20 MPs allied to Azimio said that although the President was free to visit any part of the country, they were not aware of any planned political activities slated for Nyanza over the next four days.
Led by Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi, the MPs said their current energies are focused on dealing with the attacks at Sondu market on the Kisumu-Kericho boundary. They said all political events should be shelved until the clashes have been contained. Three people have died and several others sustained arrow wounds and were treated at the Nyabondo Mission Hospital.
Cherish visitors
Reports indicated that raiders armed with bows and arrows attacked homes in East Kadiang’a Location, Upper Nyakach Division, on Tuesday night and unleashed terror before fleeing.
And yesterday, Wandayi said he had not been invited to attend the President’s engagements.
He said: “Luo Nyanza is part and parcel of the Republic of Kenya. Ruto is, therefore, free to visit it any time. Moreover, the Luo people are renowned for their hospitality and pragmatism. We cherish visitors. However, visitors don’t easily change our perception and attitudes on important issues since we’re a fiercely principled people. Personally, I have not been invited. All the same, I wish them well in their tour of the region.”
His sentiments followed those of Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu, who accused PS Omollo of planning parties and rallies at a time when people were being killed in Sondu.
She said: “We are saying that these killings must stop and also we are saying that any other person organising, planning anything in this area must stop.”
According to Omollo, the President’s itinerary will begin in Kisumu before proceeding to Siaya and then Homa Bay and Migori, before moving to other areas.
In Homa Bay, he is scheduled to launch the Mfangano ring-road, and then visit Victory Fish Farms in Sindo, a major investment in fish supply chain. Then President will then launch the construction of the Sindo-Magunga road and rehabilitation works of Homa Bay piers in a fresh and sustained move to explore the blue economy potential.
In Migori, he will commission the Last Mile Water Connectivity Project at Kegonga in Kuria East and an affordable housing project at Mareba Kuria West and meet cane farmers in Awendo.
CS Owalo said the National Treasury and the World Bank are working together to launch the construction of the Lake Victoria Ring Road.
“We want to demonstrate to our people that the President means well for them and has nothing sinister other than development focus,’’ said Omollo.
Embrace leader
At the weekend, the CS, together with Kenya Ports Authority’s managing director, William Ruto, inspected various piers in Kendu Bay and Homa Bay. Ruto said Sh1.6 billion had been set aside to rehabilitate the piers.
The piers were vibrant in the 1980s and 90s when they served as the link between various islands and other parts of the Nyanza region.
Despite the objections raised by Azimio leaders, various government officials were yesterday busy planning for the visit and drawing up a list of those who will meet the President.
Addressing the press in Kisumu, Lake Victoria South Development Agency chairman Peter Odoyo and Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Director Samwel Ongou urged the local community to embrace the President, who, in his last visit, chided voters in the region for giving him negligible votes when he and Raila were vying for the presidency. Raila has since questioned the legitimacy of Ruto’s presidency.
Only this week, his party urged the National Dialogue Committee sitting in Bomas of Kenya to order the opening of election servers for a forensic audit of the results to be conducted.
The duo said the President was open and was more than willing to work with the people of Nyanza and the leadership to develop the region.
According to Odoyo, the view advanced by some Azimio leaders that it is needless to support the government because national resources are appropriated by Parliament was wrong.
“We must not fall prey to that belief. We must demonstrate loyalty and that is the practice all over the world,’’ he said.
