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All set for Odinga’s visit to Ruto’s turf next week

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ODM leader Raila Odinga will be in Uasin Gishu county next week for his Azimio la Umoja convention, after successfully holding similar meetings in Nyanza, South Rift, and North Eastern. This will be the first time after the March 9th, 2018 handshake that the former prime minister will be politically engaging the region perceived to be Deputy President William Ruto’s bedrock.

”We are behind the Handshake and we support and we are with Raila Odinga in his journey to the State House,” a section of ODM delegates said yesterday in Eldoret.

Read: Oparanya: Mudavadi has zero muscle to win the presidency

Speaking to Kalenjin FM stations on Tuesday, October 5, the ODM leader rubbished the assertions that without William Ruto he would have not got the Kalenjin vote in 2007, saying it was the late Kipkalya Kones who was instrumental in the orange party being voted for overwhelmingly in the region at that time.

”In 2007, the person who was in the frontline in Rift Valley was Kipkalia Kones and he is the one who introduced me to the region. Ruto also wanted to be president then and we went through a nomination and after that, he decided to be on our side,” the former prime minister said, adding, ”Kones marshaled Kipsigis in Kericho and Bomet, Ruto was in charge of Uasin Gishu, Nandi we had Henry Kosgey and Sally Kosgei. Baringo we had Musa Sirma and that is how we brought people together.

Asked on whether still had supporters in the region, Odinga said he still got some votes from Rift Valley in the 2017 and 2013 elections and has vowed to use his new friends from the region to marshal support for his 2022 bid.

Read: Odinga convenes Naivasha retreat with top Uhuru strategists, allies

”I cannot say that I no longer get votes in Rift Valley. I got some votes, both in 2013 and 2017. My agenda for the Kalenjin nation has never changed. I still have friends despite others dumping me. I am back so that we can soldier on together,” he said.

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