Deputy President William Ruto has piled pressure on ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi to deliver 90 per cent of the votes in his Vihiga County backyard to ward off the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya onslaught in the region.
Dr Ruto, who was campaigning at the Hamisi stadium in Vihiga said the 75 per cent that is being proposed by voters is “too little.”
The pressure for more votes is coming about a week to the General Election and at the time when the region’s leaders are on a charm offensive to hit the target that would guarantee the region the 30 per cent stake in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
Mr Mudavadi and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula have been given a target of 70 per cent from the entire western so as to be assured implementation of the Kenya Kwanza Alliance agreement.
Dr Ruto who was accompanied by Mr Mudavadi and Mr Wetang’ula asked the more than 310,000 voters to boost the proposed numbers in his favour.
In 2017, ODM leader Mr Raila Odinga under the defunct National Super Alliance (Nasa) garnered 90 per cent of the votes in Vihiga County.
Dr Ruto says voters in Vihiga should turn up in large numbers on August 9 and deliver the votes to him as part of their deal with Mr Mudavadi.
“The 75 per cent Vihiga people want to give us is little. This should be at least pulled up. Ninety per cent is near a better outcome. Give us that,” Dr Ruto said.
Local leaders allied to Mr Mudavadi and Dr Ruto assured that they will not let down the Amani leader by ensuring the set target was achieved.
Dr Ruto said giving him the high numbers would help stop their rivals in Azimio la Umoja One Kenya from contesting the outcome of the General Election.
“You can see Raila is already fighting IEBC. We don’t want to give him any chance to cause violence by uprooting the railway, going to Supreme Court or swearing himself in,” said Dr Ruto.
Sabatia MP and a close ally of Mr Mudavadi Mr Alfred Agoi recalled that the county realised the 90 per cent for Mr Odinga.
“We have now abandoned him (Mr Odinga) and so we will give the 90 per cent to Ruto as a sign that we are no longer working with Raila,” said Mr Agoi.
Mr Wetang’ula said with a week to the General Election, voters should turnout in large numbers on August 9 and vote for Dr Ruto.
“A vote for Ruto is a vote for Mudavadi and I,” Mr Wetang’ula told Vihiga voters even as he castigated President Uhuru Kenyatta for undertaking last minute launch of projects.
“A retiring president is going is going round the country to launch the projects that have no budget lines and have not been approved by parliament,” said Mr Wetang’ula
He went on: “This will cause a (financial) burden to the incoming government. What he is doing is like corruption because he is campaigning for Raila.”
The Ford Kenya leader also took a swipe at the National Cohesion and Integration Commission over its proposal to shut down Facebook ahead of the polls, terming it as backward.
At the same event, Mr Mudavadi brought up the plan to award Kaimosi Friends University College with a charter saying this is a right and not a favour.
President Kenyatta was expected to award the charter to the university on Thursday last week but the event has been pushed to Tuesday this week.
It has emerged that leaders from Vihiga led by Senator George Khaniri proposed that the event be held in Vihiga and not Nairobi.
But Mr Mudavadi said: “I am told Uhuru Kenyatta will be here in Vihiga on Tuesday to give a charter to Kaimosi Friends University College. The people of Vihiga wanted this to happen long time ago and it is our right. But I want to tell him that a charter will not help him get votes here.”
It is expected that Mr Kenyatta will use the forum to campaign for Mr Odinga.
The ANC boss said the region is now tired with Mr Odinga and was ready to chat its own path.
Mr Mudavadi called on the voters in Vihiga “to help us get the highest number of votes” so as to enable Dr Ruto to run the government effectively.
Dr Ruto assured that his administration will prioritise revival of the ailing economy and lowering the cost of living.
He accused Mr Kenyatta and Mr Odinga for what he termed as leading the country to economic downfall. BY DAILY NATION