raila vs ruto

Kenya 2022: Whose mobilising strategy will win voters?

in depth

This article is part of the dossier:

Kenya 2022: Who will win the great race?

By Jeff Otieno

Premium badge Reserved for subscribers

Posted on August 5, 2022 08:15

 © A bus drives past banners for Kenyan presidential candidates Raila Odinga, left, and William Ruto, right, on a road in the Mathare neighbourhood of Nairobi, Kenya Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
A bus drives past banners for Kenyan presidential candidates Raila Odinga, left, and William Ruto, right, on a road in the Mathare neighbourhood of Nairobi, Kenya Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

As Kenya’s election day nears, the top presidential contenders William Ruto and Raila Odinga have shifted focus on getting out the vote to ensure a first round win. Who will have the perfect strategy to deliver the knock-out blow on 9 August?

On 28 July, while on a campaign trail in Nakuru county, Azimio La Umoja flagbearer Raila Odinga launched a grassroots movement dubbed Rauka na Firimbi (wakeup on the whistle call) tasked with getting out the vote for the coalition party on 9 August.

“We will have our people moving from one village to another waking up our supporters in the wee hours of the morning using a whistle to go and cast their ballot. We want to win this election in round one,” said Raila, blowing a whistle hanging around his neck.

His main rival in the presidential election, Deputy President William Ruto, also responded by unveiling a door-to-door mobilisation programme in his strongholds to ensure a high voter turnout on D-day.

“We will have groups in our strongholds of Mt Kenya region and Rift Valley facilitating the movement of our supporters to various polling stations. We are leaving nothing to chance,”

There's more to this story

Get unlimited access to our exclusive journalism and features today. Our award-winning team of correspondents and editors report from over 54 African countries, from Cape Town to Cairo, from Abidjan to Abuja to Addis Ababa. Africa. Unlocked.

Subscribe Now

cancel anytime