Azimio la Umoja has announced that it has postponed its mega rally that was to be held at the Gusii Stadium on Monday, February 13.
Kisii County ODM Chairman Kerosi Ondieki, has said that the planned rally which was to take place today has been moved to Friday in order to give room for proper preparation.
The County Chairman also said they requested Azimio secretariat to enable County Governor Simba Arati spearhead proper arrangements for opposition leader Raila Odinga’s grand entry to Gusii stadium.
It is worth noting however that the postponement has been announced after a flurry of activities including protests from Kisii leaders allied to President William Ruto, who on Sunday asked Azimio to call of their rallies, saying they were not welcome in Kisii.
The leaders led by former Kisii governor James Ongwae urged Kisii leaders to shun politicians he said are hell-bent on painting the community as rebellious against President William Ruto.
Ongwae regretted that the same leaders planning protests and rallies in Kisii had organised their regions to warmly receive the president and even benefitted from his ‘generosity’.
“I plead with our leaders not to accept any shenanigans that are meant to paint our region as rebellious and disadvantage it from the much planned development projects by President Ruto,” Ongwae said.
“Previously and in the last few months, president Ruto has visited various regions and initiated several development projects, lately being a visit to Luo Nyanza, and in some instances some of us were present and we witnessed the president’s generosity,” Ongwae said.
Ruto is supposed to visit the Kisii region for a homecoming ceremony for Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu later in the month. His planned visit has however been poisoned by among other things an alleged siege at former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi’s house last week.
Matiangi is until now presumed to be the Kisii political king pin but his position is under threat as he is no longer in government but no successor has come out to challenge him.
Yesterday, President Ruto threw another bait to the region which is restless after he gave them a raw deal when appointing senior government officials by naming Shadrack Mose as the solicitor general.
State House Chief of Staff Felix Kosgei, in a letter to the National Assembly speaker Moses Wetangula, said;
“It is most graciously notified that Dr William Ruto, President and Commander-In-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, has in exercise of the constitutional prerogative vested in the Head of State and Government nominated Mr Shadrack John Mose, for appointment as the Solicitor-General.”
In the 2022 election, Mose vied for the Kitutu Masaba parliamentary seat on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party ticket but was unsuccessful.
If approved by the National Assembly, Mose will take over from renowned lawyer Kennedy Ogeto who will have served for a five-year-term.
Ogeto was appointed to the position by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in March 2018.
