Days after Jubilee splashed photographs of lavish vehicles and a building on social media, ODM has announced that it will flag off 47 buses to all counties.
A tough rivalry between the parties was signaled when ODM scheduled a rally, at which it is to make a “major declaration”, on the same day as the Jubilee Party launch.
The opposition party said Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, who is its deputy leader, will flag off the vehicles to all counties on Thursday.
“The buses will provide transport to party delegates from all over Kenya to participate in our jamboree,” Elections director Junet Mohamed said at Capitol Hill in Nairobi.
Junet said on Wednesday that ODM also received a donation of 823 vehicles from supporters.
He said the vehicles will be “branded and be dispatched to comb the entire country, mobilising and rallying the people around our 2017 agenda”.
Junet said there will be a series of road shows on Friday as thousands of delegates from all over Kenya will converge in Mombasa to welcome party leader Raila Odinga.
Raila has been holding a series of rallies in Kakamega county, Western, whose leaders have been seeking alternatives to being in the opposition, in a bid to unite Luhyas.
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration will officially launch Jubilee Party, the outfit he will use to seek re-election in 2017, at Safaricom Stadium Kasarani in Nairobi.
ODM’s gathering dubbed ’10 at 10′ will be held at Mombasa’s Tononoka grounds.
Some 450 MCAs, 110 MPs, 18 senators and at least 10 governors will join party delegates from all over the country for the rally.
Some say the opposition decided to hold its meeting to divert attention from Jubilee’s grand plan that followed the merger of 13 affiliate parties.
Junet earlier said Joho will host a private reception in honour of Raila and Mama Ida on Friday evening.
ODM said it invited award winning Tanzanian artiste Diamond Platnumz to entertain guests in a celebratory procession on Mama Ngina Drive, set for Saturday.
“The night will conclude with a dramatic fireworks display that promises to leave Kenyans breathless,” said Junet.
A flurry of activities, including a road show with Jubilee’s branded vehicles, is expected to take place on Nairobi’s Thika Superhighway.
The lavish spending has begun despite the IEBC’s Sh5.2 billion cap for presidential candidates.
