ODM leader Raila Odinga will on Tuesday take the referendum campaign to Taita Taveta county, days after Deputy President William Ruto visited the region.
The former Prime Minister is expected to lead a two-day visit in which he will hold meetings on Wednesday and Thursday in a renewed campaign for the Building Bridges Initiative. He will be hosted by Governor Granton Samboja among other leaders.
Sources privy to the ODM leader’s itinerary said he will also hold a closed door meeting with a section of county leaders at Samboja’s Mwakishimba home on Tuesday evening. He will later kick off a series of meetings and public rallies in Wundanyi, Voi and Mwatate on Wednesday and Thursday.
Governor Samboja on Sunday said, “Raila Odinga will be here for two days to drum up support for the government’s agenda. We are fully supporting President Uhuru Kenyatta and his partner, Raila Odinga”.
He said an elaborate tour programme was being prepared and would be released later to the public.
The governor said the county will benefit from a good relationship with the ruling party.
“By supporting the government, we shall reap big from the national cake. We have a number of development projects set to be launched in this region as part of the government’s development agenda,” Samboja said during the launch of Vighononyi dispensary on Sunday.
Raila’s ODM party enjoys strong support from the region for years.
The tour comes barely a week after Ruto pitched tent there in an attempt to seek support for his 2022 presidential bid. He chaired a meeting with the county’s religious and political leaders at Lumo, Taveta constituency.
Ruto, who is opposed to calls to amend the Constitution, urged religious leaders and politicians to refrain from the ongoing referendum debate, saying it is divisive.
“Let us not plunge the country into an unnecessarily divisive contest over something that does not exist. Instead of trying to solve a hypothetical problem, why don’t we sort out the real problems?” Ruto saposed.
The DP instead urged leaders to focus on the pressing issues facing Kenyans such as loss of jobs and disruption of businesses.
He was accompanied by former Governor John Mruttu, former Machakos Senator Johnsone Muthama, and Woman Rep Lydia Haika. among others.
However, Governor Samboja, who is considered his long-time ally gave the meeting a wide berth.