Samuel Siringi
23 December 2007
Nairobi — The battle for the Rift Valley vote ended as intensely as it had started with key presidential candidates combing the province to make it count in their march to State House.
Both PNU's President Kibaki and his most fierce challenger Mr Raila Odinga of ODM sought to outdo each other in trying to woo the province's 3.3 million voters.
President Kibaki held more than 20 rallies in the region before declaring that "Kenyans had agreed to his request that they give him a final term as Kenya's President".
The Head of State visited Baringo, Nandi, Trans Nzoia and Turkana Districts, ending his three-day campaigns in West Pokot on Friday.
But the most significant was the visit to Baringo where he united with his predecessor retired President Moi for the first time since the campaigns began.
At the rally, Mr Moi spoke of how President Kibaki was poised for another five years in State House and asked Kenyans to reward him for his good job during his first term.
The area was, however, to host to Mr Odinga the next day. Mr Odinga promised residents that his government will do much better than even their own son Mr Moi did during his 24-year reign.
Whereas President Kibaki spent three days in the area, the ODM bigwigs spent a day before extending their trip to neighbouring Western province.
It is clear that the President was spending more time in the area to help achieve parity in terms of his perceived support as compared to Mr Odinga who has regularly appeared to enjoy greater support.
The area is home to Mr William Ruto, a member of ODM's top decision making organ called the Pentagon. Mr Ruto has been leading a generation rebellion against Mr Moi and asking residents to shun the retired President's footsteps.
Mr Ruto has been arguing that President Kibaki sidelined the expansive region, especially after he showed many senior civil servants hailing from there the door upon coming to power.
Pro-Kibaki campaigners refute the claims, arguing instead that the government has helped put a smile on the face of many of the region's people.
Mr Moi and his group, which includes Agriculture minister Mr Kipruto Kirwa, cite the revival of the Kenya Cooperative Creameries, Rift Valley Textile Mills and better pay for maize and milk farmers as reasons to re-elect the President. Mr Kalonzo Musyoka of ODM-K also recently visited the area, where party chairman Samuel Poghisio is his pointman.
With Rift Valley residents warming up to each of the parties, the key point is who bags the majority of the votes.
It appears that ODM could have an upper hand in the North Rift, except Trans Nzoia and Baringo, while President Kibaki could have his way in the Central Rift areas, including Naivasha and Nakuru.
But there will be a cut-throat competition in the South Rift.
Mr Musyoka is likely to get support in West Pokot where Mr Poghisio seems to be calling the shots.
A mixed bag of votes is also expected at the parliamentary level.
ODM appeared to have a head-start until the nominations fiasco in which some aspirants perceived to be popular were defeated.
Dissatisfied with the process, some of the aspirants sought accommodation in fringe parties, from where they announced they would still support ODM.
That has complicated ODM's fortunes in some constituencies as those picked under the party's banner could end up losing to those who sought other party tickets.
It is perhaps this tricky situation that compelled Mr Odinga to intervene, urging supporters at his final rally in Eldoret on Thursday to endorse the three-piece system of voting.
Earlier Mr Odinga had shunned debate on the system of voting, asking voters to make their own choices but vote for him as Head of State.
His party has heavily relied on Mr Ruto who defied Mr Moi and sought to push the province towards a different political leaning.
After falling out during the referendum, Mr Moi has returned to President Kibaki's fold and sought to ask the people of the region to back him.
President Kibaki and his predecessor were keen to prevent the province from slipping off their hand to ODM, which started off with an intention of consolidating the Western region into its grip.
Mr Odinga, Mr Ruto and the party's presidential running mate Mr Musalia Mudavadi initiated their bids for State House by seeking to build a Western voting bloc.
Once the party picked Mr Odinga as presidential candidate, he, undeniably, had a head start as the block did not disintegrate.
So fierce was their determination to keep other parties at bay from the province that it took Mr Moi and President Kibaki to lead campaigns for PNU in the area.
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