DEMANDS by some Nyanza leaders that President Uhuru Kenyatta be accompanied by Cord leader Raila Odinga on a three-day tour of Nyanza forced State House to cancel the much-awaited visit indefinitely.
Some MPs last week told State House officials in a meeting at Harambee House, the Office of the President, that they will support Uhuru’s visit on condition Raila is present because doing so minus the ODM leader could cost them political support.
“Personally, I was ready to receive the President, but, during our meeting in Nairobi, some MPs wanted our party leader Raila Odinga to attend the [tour] together with the President in Kisumu,” said Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma.
Uhuru was today expected to start the visit to the lakeside county, but Director of Political Affairs in the Presidency Joshua Kuttuny yesterday told the Star the tour has been postponed to allow more engagement with the region’s leaders.
“The plans are still underway, but the President will not be traveling to Kisumu as planned. The trip has been put off for now to allow more engagements to take place. A fresh date will be communicated to you by State House,” Kuttuny told the Star.
Yesterday, Raila’s Director of Communication Dennis Onyango said: “Raila does not follow government programmes. He follows his opposition coalition’s programme and therefore the idea of him accompanying the President is irrelevant. There is no logic to the demand.
“Raila beat Jubilee in all parts of the country except Rift Valley and Central. We do not understand the attempt to make him look like the leader in Nyanza and not of other parts of the country – and the media is part of this campaign of misinformation,” said Onyango.
It is understood the President’s decision was further informed by National Intelligence Service briefs that indicated the ground in Nyanza was not receptive.
His advisers also argued that the President’s visit could have come at a wrong time because it would have coincided exactly with the date his father the first President, the late Jomo Kenyatta, visited the region and the visit went bad.
On October 25, 1969, President Jomo Kenyatta travelled to Kisumu to open the “Russia Hospital” (the New Nyanza General Hospital), a pet project of his fierce rival, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, the first Vice President and Raila’s father.
Jomo and Jaramogi, who was the leader of the opposition Kenya People’s Union, exchanged harsh words on the VIP dais as a pro-Odinga crowd hostile to the President surged towards the enclosure and Presidential security personnel opened fire, killing more than 10 people and injuring many others.
Last week, President Kenyatta was forced to postpone his trip to Raila’s stronghold home region after a meeting at OP between elected leaders of Kisumu county and senior government officials led by Interior PS Monica Juma, Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo, CID Director Ndegwa Muhoro, Political advisors Kuttuny and Nancy Gitau.
Yesterday Kisumu East MP Shakeel Shabir said the President did not need Raila’s blessings to visit Nyanza. “He is the President; I don’t think he must be accompanied by anybody to visit Kisumu, which is part of this country,” said the MP.
Nyando MP Fred Outa said Raila welcomed Uhuru to Kisumu County during the burial of former Knut Secretary General Okuta Osiany in April last year and “therefore does not need to welcome Uhuru back again”.
“We had asked for more time to consult the local leadership prior to the meeting and were now very ready to receive the President. However, we cannot force his coming,” said Outa.
“Raila is more than Kenya. He [Uhuru] should not wait for Raila because he has a very busy schedule. The President should make good his promise and come to Kisumu anytime as he wishes,” the legislator concluded.
Signs that the President would not visit Kisumu from today began during Monday’s Mashujaa Day celebrations when Kisumu County Commissioner Erastus Ekidor said they had not received any official communication over the tour.
“We shall let you know officially when the President comes. Until now we have no formal communication over the said visit,” Ekidor said.
– the-star.co.ke
