Raila Odinga to Nyanza women: Only men with kura should ‘tune’ you

The hunt for new votes ahead of 2017 elections has been full of intrigues. Politicians are determined to leave no votes behind and their tactics is a clear show that hawataki ujinga. Just recently, Homa Bay Town MP Opondo Kaluma threatened to kick out visitors to Homa Bay town who will not have their voters’ cards.

‘Baba’ has not been left out in the hunt for fresh votes. At a function in Kisumu, Cord co-principal Raila Odinga said that all measures were being put in place ahead of next year’s exercise to ensure everyone registers as a voter. He even urged women to give men with no voters’ cards the cold shoulder.

“This also applies to men. Whenever you approach a lady, first ask her if she has registered as a voter before you tell her how much you love her and wish to date her,” said Raila.

He disclosed his displeasure with low voter registration in Nyanza region as reflected in the 2013 elections, yet “there are enough people with national identifications who have not registered as voters.”

Raila was addressing boda boda operators from the entire Nyanza region on Sunday in Kisumu in the company of Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma, Senator Anyang’ Nyong’o and MP TJ Kajwang (Ruaraka), Fred Outa (Nyando), Opiyo Wandayi (Ugunja) and Kisumu Woman Representative Rose Nyamunga.

The 30-day mass voter registration exercise is set to begin in January 2017 and end in February. Experts say it will determine who wins next year’s elections.

“The voter registration will be a do or die exercise, so come out in numbers and register as voters,” he said.

Raila said that even without factoring in wazee who have not got their national IDs, the adult population in Nyanza is enough to give him ‘tyranny of numbers’ in the coming elections.

“We have established that we under-registered as voters before the 2013 elections. According to the 2009 census, Nyanza had 5.4 million adults, but only 1.9 million registered as voters,” said Raila.

Nyando MP Fred Outa told Kisumu residents to stop people without voters’ cards from eating at funerals as a way of ensuring that everyone who wants Raila to win next year’s presidency gets registered as a voter.

“If they come to a funeral and the burial is over and it is now time to eat, let everyone display their voters’ card first,” said Outa.

As the countdown to mass voter registration continues, the Orange party is keen on employing boda boda operators to mobilise potential voters.

“Your capacity to mobilise people to register as voters cannot be wished away because your industry is dynamic,” Raila said, adding that, “Spare a minute or two and ask your passenger whether they have registered as voters.”