Raila Odinga's new drive targets Rift's 3.7 million votes

CORD leader Raila Odinga with Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto at Tumoi in Chepalungu when he paid him a visit last week. Raila’s presidential team will focus on getting a bigger chunk of Rift Valley’s huge voting bloc in the South Rift and weaken Jubilee’s influence. (PHOTO: FILE/ STANDARD)

Opposition leader Raila Odinga’s presidential team will focus on getting a bigger chunk of Rift Valley’s huge voting bloc in the South Rift and weaken Jubilee’s influence.

The objective is to identify an issue and use it to rally support for Raila, Dr Adams Oloo, one of the ODM leader’s strategists, said.

Raila has identified concerns of the community living downstream of the controversial Sh38 billion Itare Dam, who say diverting rivers from the Mau and Ndoinet forests to the dam in Kuresoi, Nakuru County would dry up eight surrounding counties — Narok, Bomet, Kericho, Kisii, Nyamira, Kisumu, Homa Bay and Migori. 

“Each election has its own issues. In 2013, Jubilee used the ICC case and the Mau Forest eviction to whip up peoples’ emotions. Those two issues will no longer be part of the 2017 polls,” said Dr Oloo.

In the last month, Raila has toured the populous South Rift twice, and in one of the meetings, he made it clear that the visit was not about seeking political leverage.

ICC fall-out

“Today I am not here to talk ODM politics but to speak for the current and future generations of the Kipsigis community who will be adversely affected by the dramatic climatic change brought about by the dam. The damage the dam will cause is real,” Raila said.

The Opposition leader visited Kericho County where he addressed three rallies in Bureti, Belgut and Ainamoi constituencies and later met members of the Kipsigis Council of Elders in Kericho town who have moved to court to stop the dam project, claiming it would degrade their region into an arid wilderness.

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) leader also met Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto who has been leading an anti-Jubilee crusade in the South Rift. According to Raila, the meeting’s objective was “to discuss issues of common interest with the governor and take stock of the situation in Kenya.”

Oloo said Raila has tapped into the concerns of local people besides the Itare Dam issue.

“There are corruption scandals, the restoration of Mau Forest, the price of agricultural products and other issues affecting the region he can capitalise on,” said the member of Raila’s think tank.

Other opposition leaders say they will continue to dwell on these concerns in future campaigns.

National Assembly Deputy Minority Leader Jakoyo Midiwo said they would capitalise on  growing disaffection over t

ODM is also to keen clear the air about its leader’s role in the ICC case against Deputy President William Ruto and the 2008 Mau Forest evictions which many in the region believe were orchestrated by Raila. 

“We want the people of the Rift Valley to know that Raila was not behind Ruto’s woes at the ICC and the Mau evictions,” ODM Chairman John Mbadi told The Standard on Sunday.

Part of the Opposition chief’s strategy is to get Jubilee rebels to his side.

Running mate

But following Ralia’s rallies last weekend and his meeting with Governor Ruto, key Jubilee leaders have come out with their guns blazing, and accused the former Prime Minister of seeking to divide the north and south rift region for political capital.

“He is attempting to cause divisions among Rift Valley residents to scuttle Jubilee,” Kipchumba Murkomen, the Elgeyo Marakwet Senator, said, intimating that there were plans afoot to make governor Ruto Raila’s running mate.

Jubilee has demonstrated that it is keen to maintain its stranglehold on the region.

On Thursday and Friday, President Kenyatta and his deputy pitched camp in Nandi and Uasin Gishu counties to launch development projects in what many view as a move by Jubilee to consolidate its support in the region.

The stakes are high in the rift. According to the latest numbers released by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) following the March mass voter registration, Rift Valley has 3,757,776 potential votes.

In the 2007 polls, when Raila and Ruto were in the same political camp, ODM garnered 1,056,934 of the Rift’s 2,375,898 presidential votes against Mwai Kibaki’s 449,011.

In 2013, having fallen out with Ruto, the Opposition chief secured 707,481 votes against President Kenyatta’s 1,950,660. Raila ended up losing the battle for the presidency by 832,887 votes, having bagged 5,340,546 against Uhuru’s 6,173,433.

With independence party Kanu and Governor Ruto’s Chama cha Mashinani eager to spread their influence, the Rift will once again be at the centre of an all-out political battle in 2017.