Deputy President William Ruto is expected to visit Luo Nyanza counties of Siaya, Kisumu, Homabay, and Migori in July with the first leg of the tour being in Migori and Kisumu. Among those coordinating the DP’s visit Migori Governor Okoth Obado, former Raila aide Eliud Owalo, former Kisumu county governor Jack Ranguma, and Dalmas Otieno.
Already divisions are rocking a joint team mandated to organise the visit, with Governor Okoth Obado’s men accusing Dr. Owalo of trying to undermine other leaders in the region who have expressed their support for the DP. The visit will see Ruto tour several churches and hold small private meetings with leaders, business people, women, and youths in the four counties and a huge fortune have been invested for great political impact.
”Obado and his allies do not want Owalo to be the gateway to Ruto. He is a party leader and will join UDA as a constituent party in the alliance. So it is wishful thinking if he (Owalo) wants Obado to go through him to get to Ruto,” a source confided to this writer.
Governor Obado is currently spearheading a rigorous PDP membership recruitment drive in Migori county and has vowed to elbow out ODM from the county’s politics. Even though the Migori governor has committed to backing Deputy President William Ruto in 2022, he seems to have distanced himself from the Owalo axis, which is being accused of making Ruto inaccessible.
Organizers of the July trip reveal Ruto hopes to capitalise on the Madaraka Day visit reception where he was warmly welcomed in Kisumu. Different factions of the Hustler Movement have been assembled to set the ground for the tour.
