Former Vihiga county governor Moses Akaranga has vowed to de-campaign Raila Odinga in the county. /THE STAR
Former Vihiga governor Moses Akaranga has vowed to de-campaign NASA’s Raila Odinga in the county ahead of October 17 poll.
Mr Akaranga says the opposition side lined him even as he sought to retain his job at Mbale in the August elections.
He told Nation; “Nasa did not want me. They took me to court for using the Nasa logo. Even after the election held on August 8, they never bothered to engage me.”
During the campaign season before the August poll, Mr Akaranga was compelled by the IEBC to stop using Raila Odinga’s image on his posters. IEBC cited that his party at that time was not a member to the NASA coalition.
The former county boss, now spearheading President Uhuru Kenyatta’s campaigns in Vihiga County said he quit the opposition after the head of state reached out to him.
“President Kenyatta called me and that is why I am supporting his re-election.”
He stated that the opposition “will realise that they made a mistake when they resorted to humiliating” him.
The governor is expected to host DP William Ruto during a meeting with over 6,500 pastors in the Western county on Thursday.
DP Ruto’s visit comes a week after President Uhuru Kenyatta received a delegation of politicians from the western region, among them former Vihiga Governor Moses Akaranga at State House, Nairobi.
The deputy president will address the delegation of preachers at the Nyang’ori PAG Church then proceed to another meeting with elders drawn from across the county.
Vihiga is perceived to be an opposition home turf. It is the home county of NASA co-principal Musalia Mudavadi.
Political observers are keen on Mr Akaranga’s impact to the ruling Jubilee’s performance in the October 17 fresh presidential election in the county.