A section of Mt Kenya governors has announced plans to market former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in the region ahead of the 2022 presidential elections.
Speaking on Monday, September 27, in Nanyuki, the Mt Kenya governors who included Nderitu Muriithi (Laikipia), Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru), James Nyoro (Kiambu), and Francis Kimemia (Nyandarua) agreed to reach out to all other elected leaders in the region to help them popularise the ODM leader.
“We shall plan and coordinate structured engagement with the region focusing on elected leaders, community leaders, business leaders, farmers’ organizations, the faith organizations, and key opinion leaders and shapers in the region,” they said in a statement read by Governor Nderitu Muriithi.
The county chiefs who spoke after the presidential hopeful had concluded his three-day visit to the region further said they will organise more meetings to enable President Uhuru’s handshake partner to sell his policies and ideas to the people of the Mt Kenya region.
While the county bosses claim to be fully engaged in selling Raila Odinga, the leaders are expected to get Raila Odinga’s support in return as they seek reelection in 2022.
During their meeting with the ODM leader, the county chiefs took a swipe at Deputy President William Ruto’s politics of handouts saying the people of Mt Kenya region are businessmen who need to expand and not handouts.
“We have also discussed the growth of the economy and we conclude that this must be supported with very sound institutions and not by tokenism,” Muriithi added.
On his part, Raila Odinga said he will continue to meet the people in the region and the country at large to identify problems affecting different parts of the country.
“This is part of consultative meetings across the country with our people. It is dialogue so as to identify problems affecting different parts of the country and come up with requisite policies to address them,” Raila said.
