President Uhuru Kenyatta today visited Bungoma County and urged residents to give him more votes in the repeat presidential election, saying he was grateful for the 30 percent support he got from the county in the August 8 polls.
Speaking on the campaign trail in Kimilili on Thursday, President Kenyatta also thanked the residents for electing Jubilee leaders for various positions.
“We have come to thank you for supporting us in the August 8 election and to ask you to turn out in large numbers to express your supreme will on October 17,” President Kenyatta said.
He noted that the ruling Party won four Parliamentary seats in Bungoma in the August 8 polls, underlining the fact that the county is not an opposition stronghold.
The Jubilee MPs in Bungoma are Didmus Wekesa Barasa (Kimilili), Daniel Wanyama Sitati (Webuye West), Fred Kapondi (Mt. Elgon) and John Waluke (Sirisia).
And at the Kimilili rally, Jubilee gained more support when Bumula MP Moses Wekesa Mabonga who vied and won the seat on an independent ticket pledged to rally behind the ruling Party and campaign for the President to ensure he gets more votes from Bungoma in the October 17 repeat presidential election than he did in August.
President Kenyatta called on the residents to shun the divisive and tribal politics propagated by the opposition, saying only in an environment of peace, unity and reconciliation – which are key tenets of the Jubilee Party – can development be achieved.
The President, who was accompanied by Deputy President William Ruto, also spoke on Jubilee’s development agenda for Bungoma and the Western region.
For Bungoma, President Kenyatta said his administration revived key factories including Nzoia Sugar Factory and Webuye Pan Paper Mills which have employed more than 1,000 youths from the county.
“Apart from creating employment, farmers supplying cane to the Nzoia Sugar Factory have been paid their dues following our intervention,” President Kenyatta said.
He said more roads have also been constructed in Bungoma and electricity connection increased now than during previous governments, saying voting for him on October 17 will be entrenching the development trend.
On the August 8 polls, President Kenyatta said he won with a clear majority but because he is committed to peace and respects the law, he is ready for a repeat election.
Deputy President Ruto expressed confidence that President Kenyatta will win the repeat Presidential election with a bigger margin.
“We will beat the Opposition just like we did in August 8. In fact, we will double or triple our votes,” he said.
The Deputy President wondered why the opposition leaders had no faith in the IEBC and yet MPs, Governors and MCAs from Nasa whose elections were managed by the same electoral body have been sworn in.
“We have Nasa MPs, Governors and MCAs who were elected and it was IEBC which managed the elections. Why are they now saying they have no faith in the same body that made them who they are now? They should resign and seek fresh mandate from the electorate if they have no faith in IEBC,” said the Deputy President.
