NAIROBI, KENYA JAN 2 – Azimio leader Raila Odinga has called elected leaders to stop early campaigns and instead work for the people. Raila said early campaigns has made it impossible for some leader to do their mandate.
Raila said that some elected leaders have announced plans to vie for certain positions yet the country came from election period not long ago. He said that there is no problem for a leader to aspire for a higher leadership position, however, it is not yet time to do so.
“We did elections last year and now some (people) have declared that are: an incoming MCA (member of county assembly). Another is an MCA and has announced plans to be an MP of Matungu. Another is an MP and now wants to be a governor in the next elections. I don’t think there is no problem with plan to go up (politically), what I am saying is, some people have made campaigns to be an occupation because if a governor is challenged now, he will stop working and start campaigning, the same case with MPs,” Raila warned.
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Kalonzo’s 2027 candidature
Some of the leaders who have declared their candidature includes Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka who has declared his intentions to run for presidency in 2027 general elections. Kalonzo told NTV that his candidature is inevitable adding that he has been ready for presidency since 2002.
“A I said I was ready in 2002 and I was ready in 2013, why do you think I will not be ready in 2027?” Kalonzo questioned.
Comparison with US
The former prime minister took US as an example to demonstrate how campaigns should be done arguing that Kenya is even smaller compared to US yet their aspirants have recently announced their candidatures ten months before elections.
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“The time for campaigns will come. American is going for elections this year and most candidates declared their candidature on October, November and December. They still have 10 months to do campaigns and America is a continent not like Kenya. Kenya is like Texas. So time will come when you will stand (to campaign) as an MCA, MP, Women rep, Senator or Governor, but if we start to fight ourselves as ODM vs ODM, Azimio vs Azimio it will make it harder even for a governor to do the work,” Raila said.
