Raila Odinga says Kenya on verge of third liberation, asks voters to take part

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Presidential Candidate Raila Odinga with his running mate Martha Karua during a rally in Dagoreti, Nairobi on July 16, 2022. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga yesterday said Kenya is on the verge of a third liberation and asked Kenyans to turn out in large numbers to vote.

Raila termed the August General Election historic, equating it to the 1963 and 2002 elections, which marked a change in the country’s leadership.

He said his first agenda after ascending to power is to lower the cost of living and cushion Kenyans against harsh economic times.

While addressing public rallies in Nairobi yesterday, Raila dismissed his Kenya Kwanza Alliance rival Deputy President William Ruto, saying he has nothing new to offer Kenyans.

“Our rivals in Kenya Kwanza Alliance have been in government for the last eight years and they have failed to deliver on the promises they made to Kenyans,” Raila said.

“Citizens have no reason at all to vote for them in the coming election.”

He endorsed the team of Polycarp Igathe and Phillip Kaloki for governor, Edwin Sifuna for Senate and Esther Passaris for Woman Representative.

He said they are fit to serve Nairobi residents well in the positions they are seeking.

Raila said the Azimio La Umoja manifesto has great proposals that when fully implemented, will make Kenya earn its rightful place as one of the fastest developing countries by the end of his five years as the president.

His running mate, Martha Karua said the promises made in their manifesto are deliverable and asked Kenyans to give them a chance to serve.

Karua said given that she will be in charge of constitutional affairs and justice, she will ensure all loopholes through which Kenyans have lost trillions of shillings in the past through corruption are sealed.

“We will combat corruption which has led to Kenyans suffering since resources needed for development have ended up in the pockets of a few selfish people who are trying  by means to continue being in leadership,” said Karua.

Suna East MP Junet Mohammed said Kenyans were not ready to elect leaders with a questionable past since they will misuse their powers and that citizens are smart and cannot be fooled.

Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris called on Azimio supporters to convince the undecided voters to their side so as to give the coalition a victory.

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino said the Azimio government will create job opportunities for the youth and this is their golden opportunity to redeem the nation.

Former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth said the differences of Azimio La Umoja and Kenya Kwanza Alliance were like day and night with Azimio representing the aspirations of most Kenyans.

Igathe promised to use the experience he has accumulated in the private sector to make Nairobi one of the most developed cities in the world.

Sifuna, who is also the ODM secretary-general, asked Nairobi residents to give Raila a team he can work with to turn around the city which has experienced bad leadership in the past.

At one of the rallies in Gatina in the Dagoretti North constituency, Sifuna and Robert Alai, the ODM candidate for Kileleshwa Ward, confronted each other as Karua was speaking.

Sifuna and Alai did not respond to phone calls by The Sunday Standard which needed them to explain the reason for their physical confrontation.  

“I am calling for order in this meeting,’’ Karua said. “Let everyone listen to the agenda that the Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga is planning to implement for Kenyans if he is elected as president in the next three weeks.”

Raila and other leaders who addressed the meeting ignored the brawl and went on with the speeches.

This was the first day of Azimio’s two-day campaign tour of Nairobi’s eight constituencies.