By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta last Saturday made a triumphant entry into Kisumu City and was well received by enthusiastic supporters and political operatives .

Accompanied by the Embakassi MP Hon Mutito, and the immediate former Alego-Usonga MP Sammy Weya, Kenyatta who is among the leading contenders for the presidency in the impending general election and his entourage were booked at the posh Imperial Hotel, which is locate right in the middle of the City’s Central Business district {CBD} was soon joined by Ndhiwa KANU branch chairman Tom Alila and quiet a number of political operatives in town.

And from the look of things, the Gatundu South MP appeared to be very comfortable among his Luos friends. Last year, he hosted a group of Luo professional and businessmen caucus in a Nairobi Hotel and expressed his wish to wok together with the members of the community.

Uhuru had travelled to Kisumu after attending the colorful home-coming ceremony held in Ikolomani within Kakamega County to celebrate the recent election victory of the area MP Dr. Bonny Khalwale who had recaptured his seat during a recent bruising by-election.

Immediately after the news of Uhuru arrival in town spread like bush fire, the Imperial Hotel became instantly the beehive of activities with various interested groups and local political operatives jamming the place to capacity.

Upon his arrival in Kisumu Uhuru received an impromptu invitation to visit Migori County and conduct Harambee fund drive for the youth projects.

Extending an invitation Eng. Jared Ochieng’ Baraza, who is a senior lecturers at the Faculty of Science and Engineering t the Kenyatta University said,” Tell Hon Kenyatta that in 2012 he will get Nyanza votes. We need a change of leadership. There is no genuine multiparty democracy in Nyanza.”

“Nyanza leaders are not development conscious and they have continued fighting he youths, particularly young people like myself who are helping the Wananchi with water supplies, electricity and agriculture. Please ask Uhuru to visit us Migori County and preside over Harambee for youth projects, said Baraza.

Baraza is a member of an international organization of engineers- calling them “Engineers without Boundaries”. The group has been sourcing funds from donors and their affiliates abroad and construction borehole and construction water supplies using diesel-powered engines in the remote rural villages.

Uhuru weekend visit to Kisumu an area considered as the stronghold and home turf of his arch-rival the Prime Minister Raila Odinga signifies some elements of a change of heart and attitudes by the local population indicating that the next election battle for the presidency will be the toughest.

There are significant signs that Uhuru is becoming increasingly acceptable to the younger generation of Kenyans including those residing inside Luo-Nyanza considering the amount of invitation he has received and continued receiving from the various interested parties inviting to visit the region and conducting various fund raising meetings for the youths.

The situation has changed dramatically to the hostile reception he received in the region in the year 2002 when he first ventured into the presidential contest. In that year Uhuru who was perceived to be the project of the retired President Dniel Arap Moi stood on a KANU ticket, but he was badly mauled and trounced by President Mwai Kibaki of Narc-Kenya.

In 2007 Uhuru did not contest the presidency, but threw his weight behind President Kibaki who narrowly retained the presidency in a much flawed presidential contest between him and the Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The election dispute sparked off the violence and orgies which claimed close to 1500 lives and displaced close to 350,000 from their homes.

The next day (Sunday) Uhuru headed to Ndhiwa district in greater Southern Nyanza where he was due to attended the burial of Mzee Michael Ojode Otieno, the father of the Ndhiwa MP and the Assistant Minister for Internal Security and Provincial Administration.

The late Mzee Ojode was given a heroes send off at a colourful ceremony, where President Kibakji and the Prime Minister Raila Odinga were also expected to be in attendance. The burial ceremony took place at Mzee Ojode’s homestead which is locate next to Ratang’a Secondary School and Market in Kwabayi Location Nyarongi Division Ndhiwa.

Prior to the funeral ceremony unconfirmed rumor went around Kisumu City and its environs that the Hon Orwa Ojode and sent a SMS message to the Prime Minister Raila Odinga informing him that President Kibaki will his guest of honor during the burial of his father.

The message was politically interpreted to be in bad taste as meaning that the Assistant Minister had wanted to lock Raila Odinga out of his father’s burial ceremony, an event, which the Luos considered as a solemn occasion which does not require politicking. This is because people always volunteer into condolence the bereaved families on their own volition. The PM, however, is said o have vowed to attend and condole all his people in Ndhiwa who had voted for him on one-on in 2007.

It also reveals how there existed some kind of deeply rooted differences between the Prime Minister and some of the Luo MPs which need to be ironed out before the next general elections.

Indications are some of the Luo MPs and their supporters are warming up for the G7 group consisting of Uhuru Kenyatta, William Ruto and the Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and others. Najib Balala is said to have already pulled out of the amorphous alliance.

Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, however, the duo are said to be slowly making major inroad into Luo-Nyanza the region which is considered as having been sealed in favor of Raila Odinga and the common talks making the round is that all the presidential aspirants be given free hands to sell their policies all over Kenya without any hindrance so that the voters could make their own decision as to who deserve the op most job on the land.

For the Vice President Musyoka, it is bad luck. Nobody talked about him in the entire Luoland. Perhaps this is because of his persistent inconsistency, which has made him the villain in the region. H is the only politician nobody one to be identified with in Nyanza.The locals treat the Vice President as a political turn-coat and someone not guided by principles.

Uhuru Kenyatta, however, appeared to be the darling of the youth clamoring for peaceful transition and transformation from the old guards and to the youths. He is seen as someone who stands for the youth and what he need is only to organize a good team of campaigners.

The son of the late Jomo Kenyatta visited Nyanza in what the political pundits were quick in describing as a quiet political maneuver to recruit supporters and agents in readiness for the next year’s big contest, first at the G7 preliminaries to choose the group torchbearers in the general election proper. And last weekend visit to the region has placed him ahead of his other colleagues in he G7 group.

Uhuru made the promise that he would soon return to Nyanza to meet his supporters in a venue to be agreed on in order to strategize for the next year’s general election.

Ends

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