The former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is coming out as an embracive leader willing to host his perceived political adversaries in his home turf as otherwise, he would be snubbing the events.
He has hosted President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy William Ruto and their allies in several occasions lately in Kisumu.
This is with the consideration that the county is the capital of his Luo Nyanza backyard, a diehard region that even boycotted the October 26 presidential rerun on his instructions.
Raila is probably trying to do away with the baseless stereotype that Luos are intolerant to their political rivals and hopes that he too will be welcomed in other regions that did not support his bid in future.
Consequently, he has cleverly eradicated the chances of being met with hostility when he tours the bedrocks of the two leaders in the campaign season, should he die.
Raila is apparently trying to rehabilitate himself in the eyes of the supporters of the two leaders who ganged up against him to deny him the presidency in 2013 and 2017.
This will enable him to sell his policies which might enable him to get some votes if not most.
Raila is also telling rivals that they are free and welcome to come and campaign in Kisumu when the time comes, to avoid the accusations of locking rivals out of his region.
This way, people will not have anything to blame him for or appeal his win should he beat them in the race.
Raila is aware that his detractors will be seeking to use the happenings in the county that staged demos against Uhuru and Ruto after his defeat in the 2017 polls to slander him politically.
He is cleverly escaping being cornered while at the same time appealing to Kenyans that he had no bad blood against anyone, including Ruto whom he could face off within 2022.
A keen observation will show you that Kisumu county has hosted three of the nation's topmost politicians in the last month.
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