DP William Ruto on a charm offensive in Western

Deputy President William Ruto. [Sammy Omingo, Standard]

Deputy President William Ruto returns to Western today in a spirited attempt to woo the region to back his presidential bid come 2022.

Ruto has lined up a series of meetings of public rallies in Kakamega County before taking his vote hunt crusade to Busia County on Saturday.

His first stop today will be at Khayega market in Ikolomani where he is expected to address supporters. The Deputy President will also address supporters at Shianda trading centre in Mumias East constituency and Khwisero market.

Ruto’s allies including former Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale and former National Assembly Chief Whip Benjamin Washiali have been busy preparing the ground ahead of the DPs tour.

The leaders have been meeting groups of people and making impromptu visits at venues where Ruto is expected to address supporters and make stopovers.

Khalwale visited gold mining sites in Kakamega and appealed to artisanal miners to support Ruto’s bottom-up economic model which according to him will help address challenges the miners have been facing for many years.

“Spreading the bottom-up economic model, yesterday I visited the gold mining sites in Ikolomani, as the governor of Kakamega, I will expand this enterprise to create millions of opportunities for our people,” Khalwale posted on his official social media page yesterday.

Ruto had earlier toured Kakamega and Bungoma counties days before ODM leader Raila Odinga visited the two counties.

Buoyed by his six-day tour of the Coastal region where he popularized the UDA party and the bottom-up economic model, Ruto is keen on winning hearts in Western during the two-day tour of the region.