By Standard Team

Presidential aspirants crowned their weekend agenda with highly publicised rallies in various parts of the country.

However, two key contenders skipped their rallies in Kisii and Nyamira Counties, disappointing their supporters who were kept waiting.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga was scheduled to address a rally at the Gusii Stadium as a culmination of the ODM Reloaded Caravan’s tour of the region, but it was cancelled at the last minute because he had not arrived back from his visit to Russia.

The Prime Minister has been away in Russia attending the 2012 St Petersburg International Economic Forum and had been expected back in the country for the final ODM rally organised by the ODM Reloaded team.

Team members led by Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba and Public Works Minister Chris Obure toured Nyamira County and addressed a series of rallies.

Heavy rains received in Nyamira in the afternoon marred the caravan’s tour as the team was forced to cancel scheduled roadside rallies in West Mugirango and Kitutu Masaba constituencies.

Kaddu leader Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo who was expected to hold rallies in Nyamira town also called off the function in the last minute.

Jirongo was to lay a foundation stone at Bosiango SDA Church and open Brown SDA Church in Nyamira town. Supporters who had been mobilised to receive Jirongo at Senta market were forced to return to Nyamira.

Justus Rasugu, a Kaddu official who was coordinating Jirongo’s tour, said the rallies were put off until next week.

Jirongo instead turned up at a function organised by New Ford Kenya presidential candidate in Nairobi, where he announced that together with Uhuru Kenyatta, they resisted evil forces who did not want the latter to accept defeat after the 2002 presidential elections.

Uhuru was the chief guest during the launch of New Ford Kenya offices opened by Eugene Wamalwa in Lavington area, Nairobi.

Spotlight

Elsewhere, United Republican Party MPs Charles Keter and Joshua Kutuny turned the spotlight on Jirongo, dismissing him as an opportunist who had positioned himself to reap from William Ruto’s predicament at the International Criminal Court.

“He had positioned himself in URP hoping to benefit should Ruto not have been around to run for the top seat but he is now throwing words around after the latest developments at the ICC, which ensures that the URP leader will be on the ballot,” said Kutuny.

Kutuny and Keter were addressing a meeting in Bureti Constituency, while Ruto was in North Eastern where he had pitched tent for three days.

On Sunday, Mudavadi assured Kenyans he was ready to work with his opponents for the sake of peace ahead of the next polls.

Mudavadi said he would reach out to his rivals to ensure the country goes to the General Election united irrespective of the voters’ political affiliations. “We will initiate talks with other presidential contenders to work closely for peace and to clinch the presidency,” he said.

Mudavadi, who spoke in Busia County during a meeting with delegates and aspirants vying for various posts, said: “I will dialogue with Uhuru Kenyatta, William Ruto, Martha Karua, Moses Wetangula, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Eugene Wamalwa, among others.”

At the same time, key leaders from the North Eastern region joined Ruto and other URP leaders as they toured the region from Friday.

They wound up the North Eastern region tour in Garissa last evening where URP leaders asked the Government to enhance security in the region.

Among those who addressed the rallies were G7 member and Dujis MP Aden Dualle, Hussein Gabbow (Wajir North), Adan Keynan (Wajir West), Mohammed Sirat (Wajir South) and Ali Mohamoud (Moyale).

Ruto told a series of rallies in Mandera, Wajir, Habasweini and Garissa that URP was working with leaders from all parts of the country to promote action oriented policies.

Insecurity

“Insecurity is a big issue in the region. We were not able to hold a rally in Mandera because of insecurity fears coupled with strict security measures and this cannot be allowed to happen in the 21st century,” said Ruto.

He also urged the Government to deal with high poverty and famine cases in the region through the use of drip irrigation and other modern farming techniques.

The MP said economic prosperity would be achieved in the country if security was enhanced and said security agencies must be empowered and be made to serve the country adequately.

“We have areas in this country where there are permanent curfews due to security concerns, which forced me to stop campaigning publicly and openly,” Ruto told a large crowd of Garissa residents in an apparent reference to Mandera, which has had an existing movement restriction for the last three years.

In Kisii, the ODM team said it had exposed a plot to oust the Constitution Implementation Commission Chairman Charles Nyachae in an attempt to ‘mutilate’ the Constitution.

Radical stance

The ODM team claimed that forces opposed to the passing of the new Constitution had ganged up to frustrate the implementation process by overthrowing Nyachae for his radical stance against scuttling the new constitutional order.

“Nyachae has demonstrated that he means well for this country and has been consistent in demanding that the new law be implemented without changes the way Kenyans anticipated,” said Namwamba on Sunday.

The leaders lashed out at Attorney General Githu Muigai for appearing to undermine the CIC chairman.