Hold your horses: Raila tell Nyanza aspirants

Cord leader Raila Odinga has told all political aspirants vying for various political seats on ODM tickets to go slow and avoid violence, saying accelerated political activities in opposition strongholds was affecting the battle to remove Jubilee from power.

In what was seen as an intervention into the ever rising political temperatures, Raila said it is not meaningful to maintain such levels of aggression at a time the legitimately elected leaders were still in office.

"This bickering has to stop. If you are eyeing a particular seat, that is fine. But we still have people occupying those seats. Once the seats are declared vacant, then we can all go to the people and ask them for their votes," said Raila.

Raila was speaking in Nyatindo village in Kasipul constituency in Homa Bay County on Monday. Members of the Odinga family were visiting Raila's sister Dr. Wenwa Akinyi.

Last month, chaos erupted at an ODM rally in Homa Bay as supporters of area governor Cyprian Awiti and Kasipul-Kabondo MP Oyugi Magwanga, clashed when supporters of the two leaders attempted to reach the main dais at Homa Bay Stadium.

While Awiti's supporters chanted slogans in support of his re-election, those of Magwanga, who has declared his interest in the governor's seat, said he must be voted out next year. And when push came to shove, a shouting match ensued before it turned physical.

The debacle at the Homa Bay stadium was further compound by a fist-fight between Homa Bay Town MP Peter Opondo Kaluma and aspirant Washington Ogaga.

The presence of Oyugi Magwanga at Dr. Akinyi's during Raila's speech was an indication that the CORD leader wanted his message to reach home loud and clear as Magwanga is one of the aspirants who has aggressively shown his urge to unseat Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti.

Raila also took the opportunity to call upon the people of Nyanza to register as voters, saying they have the numbers to oust Jubilee from power in next year's polls.

"As I have always said, we have enough adult population with identification cards, but who have not yet registered as voters. Those are the people we need to win the coming elections," said Raila.

In the recent weeks, Cord leader has been leading calls for the Nyanza people to register as voters, a strategy that is seen as aimed at galvanizing the entire region ahead of next year's polls.

"How I will look for votes in other regions is my assignment. Leave that to me. All I want from you is to register in numbers so that as I ask for votes elsewhere, I have yours with me," said Raila.

The same was echoed by MPs Sylvance Osele (Kabondo-Kasipul), Oyugi Magwanga (Kasipul), and Oburu Oginga (nominated).

Other legislators and aspirants from the Nyanza Region have been quoted in various rallies preaching the gospel of voter registration.

Raila once again took a jibe at the Jubilee administration for 'boasting' with false development they ought not to take credit for.

He said the 6000km road tarmac that UhuRuto government is boasting to have accomplished was not realistic, adding that the duo was riding on projects that were started during the Grand Coalition.

"When you talk of 1000 km, it means a distance from Mombasa, coming to Nairobi and all the way to Malaba border. For Jubilee to say that they have tarmacked 6000 kilometers since they came to power four years ago, then that means multiplying the Mombasa-Malaba distance times six," said Raila, adding that it is all a ploy to deceive Kenyans.