Raila dangles trophy to lure locals in IEBC registration drive

From left: Suba MP John Mbadi, Cord leader Raila Odinga, Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti and senator Moses Kajwang' in Nyandiwa village, Homa Bay County on January 20th 2017 to mobilise residents to register as voters. [Photo:COLLINS ODUOR/Standard]

ODM leader Raila Odinga wound up his Western voter registration campaign with a promise to give a trophy to the constituency that will top in voter listing.

Raila moves to Coast where the drive is being spearheaded by Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho while ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi took the crusade to Busia County.

“Raila and other coalition politicians will be in the Coast to exhort the people to turn out en-masse and register as voters. The CORD leader will be in the region to boost the exercise, because we want to ensure that the region gets maximum numbers as we prepare to dislodge Jubilee in August,” Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi said.

Raila asked voters and grassroots leaders in Nyanza to mobile residents to register as voters and take charge of polling stations from the time they register as voters to casting the ballot.

The ODM leader promised to give a trophy to one of the six counties in Nyanza that will register the highest number of voters.

He said the Agwambo Cup will give an indication whether Jubilee or CORD will win the presidential elections.

Speaking at Bumala market in Busia County during voters’ sensitisation campaign yesterday, he said the coming together of ANC, ODM, Wiper and Ford Kenya parties will make the Opposition a formidable force in their quest to remove Jubilee from power.

Mudavadi who was accompanied by MPs Paul Otuoma (Funyula) and John Bunyasi (Nambale) used the opportunity to drum up support for the National Super Alliance (NASA) saying the recent meeting at Bomas was a clear indication that their journey to State House has started.

“We have learned that going alone will cost us, so being united as the Opposition is important and the only way we can manage to beat Jubilee. My wish is that we remain together towards the course,” the ANC leader said.

He disclosed that the Opposition leaders will traverse the country to mobilise Kenyans to register as voters.

“We shall traverse as a team and at individual levels. If Raila, Kalonzo and Wetang’ula visit, kindly respect and listen to them because we are all determined to remove President Uhuru Kenyatta from power for failing Kenyans. Our enemy is Jubilee,” he said.

Speaking in Homa Bay, Nyamira, Kisii and Migori on Friday evening, Raila said the sure ticket to winning the election lies in the number of voters in his strongholds. He told elected leaders to come out and mobilise residents to register as voters.

The ODM leader urged the youth to stop wasting time in drinking dens and instead participate in the IEBC exercise.

“From today, I want us to stop going to pubs and other merry-making places. Let us ensure every body aged 18 and above is registered as a voter first. Other things will come later,” he said.

At Nyatike, where he was accompanied by Migori Governor Okoth Obado, Raila predicted that this time round the tyranny of numbers theory will work for him and urged residents to turn out in large numbers and register.

Mr Obado told residents that declaring support for Raila is meaningless if they do not have voters’ cards.

“The only way to show that we love Raila is by registering as voters. If we have the numbers, then Raila will become the next president,” the governor said.

Earlier, Obado led a section of Nyanza MPs in mobilising residents to register as voters.

In Western, residents were entertained by bull fighting at Khayega DEB primary in Kakamega County in voter mobilisation drive.

In Kibra, Nairobi, where Rosemary Odinga launched her bid for the parliamentary seat, Kakamega Senator and Ford Kenya deputy party leader Bonny Khalwale asked IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati to ensure that the voter register is cleaned before the elections.

“We are asking Mr Chebukati to ensure that an international audit firm does the work of removing dead voters from the register to avoid rigging,” Dr Khalwale said.