Raila booed in Kisii days after deal with Ruto

ODM Leader Raila Odinga at Gusii stadium during the unveiling of Shabana FC new kit by their sponsor Sportpesa. Kisii Governor Simba Arati ,his Nairobi and Migori counterpart Johnson Sakaja and Ochillo Ayako were in attendance.[Sammy Omingo, Standard]

ODM Leader Raila Odinga's first tour since he inked a political deal with President William Ruto was met with boos and jeers from a crowd at the Gusii Stadium.

In a marked departure from the cheers and adulation the veteran politician usually receives whenever he tours Kisii and Nyamira counties.

Yesterday, he was clearly an unwelcome guest as a rowdy crowd chanted, "Raila must go! Ruto must go!"

Raila arrived in Kisii for the signing of the Sportspesa sponsorship deal with Shabana FC, even though it was clear the reception would be hostile.

His brief tour of Kisii comes days after he dismissed former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i's 2027 presidential bid.

During the so-called consultation tour in Kisii, Raila said Matiang'i cannot be made president by Abagusii votes, a statement that angered the former CS's supporters.

Traditionally, Kisii is the former prime minister's bastion, and in the 2022 election, he got 264,988 votes, or 65 per cent, against Ruto's 135,140, representing 33.22 per cent.

Three days after signing the broad-based government pact with Ruto, the ground appeared to have shifted with most of his supporters, especially the youth, booing him.

Yesterday, as Raila walked to the dais, many supporters of Shabana FC who had thronged the stadium to witness the signing of the sponsorship deal started to walk out.

Raila had to endure rowdy chants from the crowd that had filled the stadium immediately after he sat down at the VIP dais.

The chants of "Raila must go!" and "Ruto must go!" started at the shed adjacent to the dais where Raila was seated before chaos erupted.

While there were those who were chanting Matiang'i's name, others were shouting "Ruto must go! Raila must go!".

That was when the fans started exchanging blows and throwing chairs at each other. Security agents had to shield off the main dais.

As the heckling continued, nearly half of the fans who were occupying the benches opposite the dais walked out of the stadium as the arena turned into chaos.

All along, Raila sat and watched the drama unfold.

Efforts by Governor Simba Arati to quell the chaos did not succeed.

"Even if we have our person whom we are grooming, we have to respect other leaders for them to listen to us. We have to agree to move forward and Raila must tell us how to move forward," Arati said.

Migori Senator Eddy Okech received a share of the crowd's wrath when he talked about Raila's record.

"Raila has done a lot in promoting democracy in this country, and we have to trust him in the direction he is taking us because it is the best for the country," Okech said amid heckling.

In his brief speech, Raila initially steered clear of politics. He instead started by narrating the history of Shabana players.

Later, Raila he talked about politics, amid walkouts and chants. He defended his pact with Ruto, saying it meant well for all Kenyans.

"Those who think I have changed by entering into an agreement with Ruto should know that I am still the same Raila you have been voting for. We have put in place plans to see things move well. Wale mnapinga ng'we ng'we, shauri yao. Watalia baadaye (Those protesting and heckling will regret later)," Raila said.

Also present was Sportpesa Chief Executive Ronald Karauri, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, Migori Governor Ochilo Ayako and Okech and the club's Secretary General Elsafan Kerama.

The team received a sponsorship of Sh70 million from Sportpesa, a deal that will be spread over three years.

Raila offered Sh1 million sponsorship, Sakaja gave the club Sh300,000 while Ayako donated Sh50,000.