RAILA HITS WESTERN GROUND RUNNING

The Opposition kingpin and former prime minister Raila Odinga has hit the Western ground running as he embarks on a four day political mission in the Luhya land. His long awaited tour of the region started in Vihiga county yesterday at Ground Zero with an indoor meeting of ODM grassroot leaders followed by a public address of a mammoth crowd.
The rally comes just few days after the defecting ODM Secretary General alias 'Generali' Hon.Ababu Namwamba made some sinister moves out of the party that sponsored him to parliament.Also, since the DP Hon.William Ruto confirmed to his kalenjin counterparts in Baringo County that Ababu is purely dancing their Jubilee tune, Raila had to up his game to counter the Jubilee effect. It is therefore time for political survival and Ababu's anti-ODM theatrics will not put Raila off.
Many have no doubt in their minds that Raila's presence in the region has sent a quiver in the Budalangi MP.Hon.Namwamba.Going by his sentiments over the past few days, regretting having been glued to Raila and ODM and what he terms as frustrations and being sidelined, Ababu has some how been perceived as an upcoming political arch rival of the former premier.He is on record having apologized to Amani National Congress leader Hon.Musalia Mudavadi for having been against him in his 2013 presidential bid.Ababu made these utterances knowing very well that he was with Raila in the campaign trail and that Mudavadi was Raila competitor.
Surprisingly, as Raila camped in Mudavadi's Vihiga backyard, Ababu was already clearing the way for Raila in his Budalangi home. Ababu claimed that he has not and will not leave the largest political party in Kenya, ODM,despite having ditched the post of Secretary General. However, his sentiments were contradictory and could throw any sane mind into quagmire. He lost many audiences when he concluded that he would show his supporters their next political home which he said was safe and full development plans.This begs the question:Aren't ODM brigades right to say that Ababu is a Jubilee mole after Ruto confirmed in Baringo that Ababu is a Jubilee project?
In Vihiga, Raila was flanked by ODM strongmen; Mombasa County Governor Hon. Ali Hassan Joho, his Kakamega and Busia counterparts Hon.Wycliffe Oparanya and Sospeter Ojaamong respectively. Also in attendance was Gwasi MP Hon.John Mbadi who also doubles as the ODM party chair.These leaders stood in solidarity with Raila at the genesis of his political mission in the land of 'mlembe'.They also added fuel to the political bonfire as Raila criticized the Jubilee government for undermining some regions such as Western Kenya and Nyanza in terms of development. Agwambo also stressed that the ties that exist between the luos and the luhyas are unbreakable and that those try such a taboo of breaking the ties are wishful thinkers.
Finally,Raila will be continuing with his rallies and is today expected to shake the Busia county ground.One of the places the CORD leader will visit is Ababu's constituency of Budalangi after which he will be moving to Paul Otuoma's constituency of Funyula.Mr.Odinga will end his his tour of western region on Friday in Kakamega

Charles Domnic