Raila Odinga's victory is nigh, so let Azimio camp get out the vote

Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga at Gachie in Kiambu on July 06, 2022, during a vote hunt tour. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

Time has come for Azimio la Umoja One Kenya to use its formidable position as a coalition and get out the vote to affirm Raila Odinga’s victory in this year’s presidential race.

The coalition comprises of 29 political parties which with a well worked out campaign modus operandi, should galvanise enough votes nationally to annihilate the opponents.

Considering the high stakes in this election, the coalition must take advantage of this strength and redefine the way it is going to approach this crucial final phase of the campaign.

If this is done in the remaining few days and proper campaign strategy formulated targeting the various regions, victory for Raila which is almost certain, will be reassured. This final phase of the campaigns is crucial in any election. It is the phase in which elections are traditionally lost or won; and election strategists know as much.

With the candidates busy making a final pitch to voters on policy issues as stipulated in the respective manifestos, it is imperative to realise, first and foremost, that winning an election begins with consolidating and reactivating one’s strongholds.

Azimio has a good regional balance to ensure the support base across the country is energised, and supporters inspired to throng the polling stations to cast the vote on August 9.

Already, the enthusiasm exhibiting itself among Raila supporters is palpable, and Azimio must target a voter turnout of not less than 90 per cent, particularly within the strongholds. Remember the turnout in the last two general elections, 2013 and 2017, was 86 per cent and 77 per cent, respectively.

Azimio presidential campaign gained tremendous momentum following the unveiling of former Justice Minister Martha Karua as running mate for Raila. This momentum must be maintained and deepened, particularly in her Mt Kenya home turf.

With the populous region not fielding a strong presidential candidate for the first time since the advent of pluralism in 1991, it is now a swing-vote region. And Karua is certainly a prized catch to help tilt the five-million plus votes here in Azimio’s favour.

Since her unveiling, Mt Kenya campaign team is probably the most active of the coalition’s teams, and has done tremendous work under her stewardship. This is already evident on the campaign trail, and now remains to be quantified on August 9.

The Narc Kenya leader continues to impact quite positively on the region’s vote-hunt and is expected to galvanise substantial votes from the region into the Raila fold as the poll draws nearer, mostly hitherto undecided voters.

Her sustained forays into the region and at times in the company of Raila, has turned the populous region into a battleground, with the Azimio flag-bearer evidently poised to reap a substantial share of the region’s vote. It must not be forgotten that Mt Kenya people are key stakeholders in the country’s economy and understand quite well the significance of voting in a government that will take care of their interests, particularly their stake in the economy.

And they quite well know Raila is their sure bet in this regard!

Raila is equally hoping to use the Karua effect to appeal to several key constituencies to affirm his position at the top presidential race, key among these are the women voters across the country.

As much as it angles for the Mt Kenya vote and those in other battlegrounds, Azimio must not lose focus on its strongholds of Western, Coast, Nyanza, Nairobi, Lower Eastern (Ukambani), North Eastern, Maa communities, among others.

The coalition must tighten its stranglehold on these strongholds and at the same time make the clarion call for a high voter turnout on polling day. This is where its regional kingpins like Kalonzo Musyoka, Hassan Joho, Wycliffe Oparanya, Gideon Moi, Charity Ngilu, Kivutha Kibwana, Kiraitu Murungi, John Lonyang’apuo among others, come in handy.

While not losing sight of the bigger picture, Azimio should equally take cognisance of the fact that it is not only the country’s chief executive that Kenyans will be electing on 9 August; but also 290 MPs, 47 governors, 47 senators, 47 women representatives and 1, 450 members of county assemblies. It must form a formidable government and make work easier for the President.

The regional campaign teams should stick to the script by aligning the coalition’s manifesto with the issues dominating this election like the high cost of living, youth unemployment, access to quality healthcare and education, corruption, equitable share of resources and insecurity among others. They should at the same time articulate Azimio government’s commitment to addressing the issues.

All indicators currently show an imminent Azimio victory, but this is only if the regional teams make it a get-out-and-vote campaign in the strongholds; and effectively articulate the coalition’s agenda in the battlegrounds.