As the Mass Voter Registration enters the second week, Jubilee and Cord are taking their mobilisation expeditions to areas seen as battleground zones, after starting off last week in their safe strongholds.
North Eastern, Lower Eastern, South Rift Valley, Coast and Western Kenya are on the radar of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Cord leader Raila Odinga as they pan out their drive from Central Kenya and Nyanza, respectively.
Since last week and through the weekend, it was all-systems go as both sides reached out to their bases with the message, “get out and register”.
In the Jubilee camp, President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto remain on separate axis, this week moving into areas where the Opposition had a foothold in 2013 and where they have been fighting to gain ground. Today, Uhuru is expected to make a foray into Maralal, Samburu county, before moving to Laikipia county.
Tomorrow, he will fly to Garissa town for a rally before returning to Kirinyaga in Mt Kenya region. On Wednesday, he is expected to tour Marsabit and Embu counties.
On Thursday, the Head of State will target Kitui county, a stronghold of Wiper Party, where Jubilee has been making inroads, before going to Tharaka-Nithi, considered a Jubilee stronghold.
On Friday, he will mobilise voters in Kiambu county, his home turf and Kajiado where Jubilee is standing higher than the Opposition.
On either Saturday or next week, he is set to have a date with the Makonde community in Kwale county to address their issue of issuance of national identity cards.
On the other hand, Raila this week will be heading to Coast counties of Kilifi, Mombasa and Kwale, where the Opposition held sway in 2013 elections, but where Jubilee has been fighting to make headway.
The Coast is perceived to be a battleground zone despite the Opposition having garnered majority votes in the last 2013 General Election.
After his Coast sojourn, Raila will head to Kakamega county on Friday before camping in Bungoma on Saturday. Both coalitions are eyeing the vote-rich Western region, with Raila seen as having the upper hand in large swathes, courtesy of his growing link with Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi, while Jubilee has persistently eyed Bungoma.
Deputy President Ruto starts a tour of Bungoma today but his itinerary did not indicate how long he would camp there.
Uhuru yesterday appealed to the youth in Central Kenya to register in high numbers after instructing chiefs to ensure all those who have applied for ID cards get them. Speaking at several stop-overs, he told the youth to shun voter apathy and register in droves.
“I want to tell our youth, do not fail me, register and come out to vote in August,’’ said the President. Speaking from Sagana State Lodge, the Head of State said his government would formulate policy on issuance of identity cards to ensure the youth are able to exercise their constitutional right.
“Having an ID is the right of every Kenyan who has attained the age. We will take action on those who ask for bribes instead of giving IDs,” he said.
On his part Raila traversed parts of Nyanza and Western regions during the weekend with a call on voters and grassroots leaders to mobile residents to register.
The ODM leader promised to give a trophy to one of the six counties in Nyanza that will register the highest number of voters.
Speaking in Busia, he said the union of ANC, ODM, Wiper and Ford Kenya parties was still in the working to send Jubilee home in August.
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