Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o cleared the air about why he skipped Raila Odinga’s Kamukunji rally and instead held a State House meeting with President William Ruto.
Azimio leader Raila Odinga accompanied by Azimio elected politicians held a rally on December 7 but the Kisumu governor was among top politicians who were conspicuously missing at the event
Later, photos of the Kisumu Governor while at State House with Ruto and Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria emerged.
During the swearing in of Kisumu County Executive Committee Members (CECM), the governor announced that he needed Ruto's goodwill for a multi-billion climate change and smart agriculture project set to be implemented in his county.
“We discussed the Ksh30 billion United Green project coming to Kisumu and how we can pull our resources and synergies to mitigate the effects of climate change.
“The project will be financed by UK government but its implementation, however, require political goodwill from Ruto’s government,” the governor explained..
For decades, Nyong’o has been a key pillar in Raila’s campaigns and an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) life member.
In 2007, he played a key role in aiding the former Presidential contender create pentagon political group that sought to unseat the late former president Mwai Kibaki.
In 2013, using Raila’s ODM party, he became Kisumu’s first senator and used the same party to win the county's gubernatorial contest in 2017.
Much to the irk of other aspirants, Nyong'o in 2022 was handed a direct party ticket by ODM to defend his gubernatorial seat.
The refusal by Azimio top luminaries to attend the rally irked a section of politicians who castigated the move.
Led by Makadara Member of Parliament George Aladwa, the sect accused the politicians of using Raila for selfish interests arguing that the group should not be re-elected in 2022.
“There is no way people can forsake Raila at his hour of need. It was sad that those who have been looking for him for endorsements could not attend the rally,” the MP lamented.
