By Dickens Wasonga.
Uhuru Kenyatta, a presidential candidate for The National Alliance party TNA made a surprise visit to Kisumu City, considered Raila Odinga’s back yard and got a rare warm reception
Lining up in most City streets within Kisumu residents gave the National Alliance party {TNA} Presidential contender a heroic welcome and urged him to feel free to visit the lake side City whenever he felt like and ask for votes.
Braving the scotching morning sun the jubilant residents filled the air with chants of the Party’s slogan “I believe” while receiving Uhuru Kenyatta who is also the Deputy Prime Minister.
Uhuru’s entourage hard a smooth ride in the City nailing a widely held perception that Raila’s political opponents are not welcome in the area.
As a show of political maturity those who turned up to welcome him urged Uhuru to make a come back to the lake side city so as to hold a political rally with an aim of selling TNA’s policies to the locals.
Addressing several impromptu rallies beginning with a mammoth crowd that gathered at Kisumu’s Jua Kali area near Kamas, along Oginga Odinga Street, and the Kisumu’s main bus terminus , Uhuru praised the residents for their warm reception and asked them to continue to do so to other presidential aspirants who are seeking votes ahead of the next genera elections.
The deputy premier assured voters that should Raila win he will concede the defeat and asked the PM and all those who are contesting for the country’s top seat to do the same.
He said Kenyans should respect every political leader and give each one of them equal opportunities for campaigns, adding that every candidate has a right to campaign in any part of the country without fear, of intimidation or harassment.
Uhuru who will be trying his luck in the hotly contested seat for the second time added that time for tribal politics is long gone adding that politicians who are still championing for tribal politics risk plunging the country to anarchy and urged the public to shun them.
He condemned the recent killings in Tana River County terming it unfortunate and called for tolerance among communities living in the region. On the issue of the ongoing nationwide teachers’ strike, the DPM said there was need for dialogue between the Government and the Teachers’ unions so as to solve the issue in an amicably.
The DPM who made a stop over on his way to Ndhiwa constituency to drum up support for the party’s candidate for a by election slated next Monday was accompanied by several MPs among them Ferdinand Waititu, kereke Mbiuki, Minthika Linturi.
Cabinet Ministers Naomi Shaban, Jamleck Kamau and Assistant Minister Wilfred Ombui also accompanied Uhuru during in the tour.
ENDS