As campaigns heat up, five counties have been identified as having a majority of influence over who will emerge victorious between President Uhuru Kenyatta and NASA leader Raila Odinga in the October election.
Bungoma, Kisii, Nyamira, Narok and Kajiado counties share a cumulative 2,181,038 votes and whoever can sway them to vote in their favor will most likely be president.
Evidently aware of the voting basket in the counties, both Jubilee and NASA have taken their campaigns to Kajiado, Narok, and Bungoma in a bid to woo voters for the bigger share of those decisive votes.
The two political factions have hyped up their campaigns to dig at the other's strongholds.
In Bungoma, for example, Jubilee hopes that the election of former Governor Ken Lusaka as Senate speaker could incite the 559,897 registered voters to support President Kenyatta's re-election.
“We will use Lusaka’s election as Senate speaker to show the people that we are part of Jubilee administration. This time around, we are looking at 60 percent of the votes,” Webuye West MP, Dan Wanyama disclosed.
On the other hand, NASA plans to limit Jubilee's vote in the region to less than 10 percent.
“The votes they are talking about were computer generated to aid President Kenyatta. They do not have votes in Bungoma and they know it, however much they pour millions of shillings in an attempt to buy people,” Tongaren MP Eseli Simiyu affirmed.
President Kenyatta in a bid to consolidate support from the Western region has held meetings with leaders during the week to campaign for his election.
He has tried to explain his disagreement with Chief Justice David Maraga as not being aimed at attacking the community.
The National Super Alliance (NASA) developed a campaign and votes protection strategy titled 'Linda Kura Operation' ahead of the repeat Presidential election scheduled for October 17.
The strategy will be headed by governors in coordination with a secretariat that will have its presence on the polling station level.
Read Also: NASA Unveils New Strategy Ahead of October 17 Presidential Election
The secretariat will work with the county organizing committee that will include the governor, senator, the county party chairman, all MPs, the speaker, the woman representative and community representatives.
MPs shall be sub-county coordinators. Under them shall be MCAs (ward coordinators) who will work with the polling station coordinator.
In the August elections, Uhuru got - 122, 100 in Bungoma against Raila's 278, 901, In Kisii Raila got 210,305 votes while Uhuru managed 163,928, In Nyamira, Uhuru garnered 100,658, against Raila's 89, 638. In Narok, Uhuru won with 140,903 votes against Raila’s 122,126.
Mr Odinga needs to turn tables in these counties to win the elections.
