Alliances, which have always been used by most politicians to get people to vote in blocks, are expected to start emerging as soon as presidential hopefuls decide to take a shot at the top seat.
Among the regions that often vote as a block in presidential elections is the vote-rich Luo Nyanza which is expected to receive a lot of visitors during the campaign season.
Nyanza has remained solidly behind opposition leader Raila Odinga whose candidature this time around, is uncertain judging by his latest remarks.
On a normal day, the latter would sweep across the region, locking out all other hopefuls in the 4-county province which is also his backyard.
However, even if Raila decides to keep off, some politicians are very unlikely to get even a handful of votes from the region. These include;
1. William Ruto
Deputy President William Ruto would have it very hard earning the Luo Nyanza vote in his pending presidential bid, a factor that many believe he has only himself to blame for.
The latter and his lieutenants have been firing unending attacks and bashings at Odinga which to Luo Nyanza is unacceptable behaviour.
Also, until recently he was seen as a close ally of Migori governor Okoth Obado, another critic of Raila who has also lost his popularity over his rebellious nature.
This could worsen the situation for Ruto who is also part of the government the residents from the region believe that has failed to address some real issues touching on the Nyanza people, including claims of the importation of Chinese Fish.
Moreover, the same government had its police officers are accused of harassing demonstrators in some parts of the region during the 2017 post-election fracas leaving a scar that has never healed.
2. Alfred Mutua
The youthful Machakos Governor has since hinted at vying for the top seat in the much-anticipated poll.
However, though he appears to be a performer, judging by what he says in the media, the latter enjoys close to no national backing.
Consequently, Luo Nyanza will not see any reason to back him for fear of wasting its vote on a failing candidate.
He also seems rather ambivalent about his bid and has not made any steps to prove that he is preparing for the contest.
For instance, he is not associated with any of the said upcoming alliances, considering that winning the presidency entails massive alliances to tap in as many votes as possible.
Therefore, his campaigns in the region will most likely be taken as just an effort to make a name for himself for future races or get into books of history as a person who once vied.
#hivisasaoriginal