Moi-era head of Civil Service Dr Sally Kosgei has said the perception that the Rift Valley is a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) zone is a fallacy, expressing confidence that Azimio la Umoja One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga will be Kenya’s next President.
Dr Kosgei, speaking in Nandi County on Thursday, said Mr Odinga will win the presidency in round one, terming his pairing with Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua a sure bet.
She said she has confidence that Mr Odinga will succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta in the August elections because he and his running mate enjoy massive support in Kenya.
“This time round Kenyans must accept the ground is changing in favor of Mr Odinga. I want to tell leaders who feel otherwise to accept the truth because Odinga is set to win and succeed President Kenyatta,” she stated.
She spoke as UDA politicians in the region told President Kenyatta to stop campaigning for Mr Odinga and allow Kenyans to make their choice on their next President at the ballot box.
UDA political leaders in Nandi county, led by Governor Stephen Sang, claimed the involvement of President Kenyatta in Mr Odinga’s campaigns would work against the Deputy President, saying that they want Mr Odinga and Dr Ruto to be given a fair and equal platform to seek votes in the 47 counties without outside influence.
They claimed Mr Odinga was being supported by State machinery and warned that as “supporters of the DP, they want the President to stay above party politics”.
Governor Sang said voters from the Nandi community would not support imposed leadership and demanded that President Kenyatta should remain neutral and allow Mr Odinga to seek votes without his support.
“The DP and his supporters in the UDA party are sure of winning the presidency and all they want is for both Odinga and Dr Ruto and their teams to seek votes from the electorate and the President to avoid taking sides,” he said.
Zoning will not work
But Dr Kosgei dismissed the perception that Nandi County and Rift Valley as a whole was a UDA zone, noting that voters are not ignorant and would vote for ideologies and not personalities. She said zoning is not going to work in this year’s elections.
The former Agriculture minister and Aldai MP said reports from across Kenya indicate Mr Odinga and Ms Karua will occupy State House after the General Election after winning by a landslide but many people don’t want truth be told.
She lauded the appointment of Ms Karua as the Azimio running mate, saying women fully support the choice of the Narc Kenya leader.
Said Dr Kosgei: “Women in Kenya are happy the Azimio presidential candidate chose Karua, who is straightforward in the discharge of duties,” she said.
Will deliver votes
She also lauded former Agriculture minister Kipruto Kirwa for joining Azimio, stating that he was highly respected in the Nandi community and Kenya as a whole.
She said that with Mr Kirwa, they will deliver over 70 percent of votes from the region in August.
Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos said they were happy voters in Nandi County and the Rift Valley were supporting Mr Odinga and Ms Karua.
Governor Tolgos and former Kenya Army commander Augustine Cheruiyot told UDA leaders to stop dismissing opinion polls that indicate that Mr Odinga was ahead of DP Ruto. BY DAILY NATION