Nairobi News

As the countdown for of Tuesday’s General Election enters the last day of a long drawn campaign, the two main presidential candidates and their troops will today pitch camp in Nairobi for mega parallel rallies.

Raila Odinga of Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya Coalition and Deputy President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance will make their final submissions to Kenyans in what are expected to be explosive rallies marking the end of the official campaign period.

The two campaign teams on Friday inspected their respective venues, with each grouping urging their supporters to show up in big numbers.

Dr Ruto will lead his Kenya Kwanza brigade to Nyayo National Stadium while across town Mr Odinga and his allies will congregate at Moi International Sports Complex, Kasarani. Since the beginning of the year, the two have been on the campaign trail, traversing every corner of the country in their vote-hunting mission.

The two leaders launched manifestos with grand plans on what they plan to do if elected. Mr Odinga is making his fifth, and perhaps his last, stab at the presidency while the Deputy President is making his first attempt for the top seat.

Dr Ruto was elected Deputy President alongside President Uhuru Kenyatta on a Jubilee Party ticket in 2013 and were reelected in 2017 in a repeat election after the Supreme Court nullified their initial win. The two have since fallen out with President Kenyatta throwing his weight behind his erstwhile bitter rival Mr Odinga who ran against him in 2013 and 2017.

On Tuesday, Dr Ruto’s camp secured court orders allowing Kenya Kwanza hold their last rally at Nyayo Stadium after Sports Kenya had initially cancelled the coalition’s application to book the venue for the rally.

Some 150,000 police officers will be deployed to provide security for the two parallel rallies. The officers are drawn from the Kenya Police, Administration Police, General Service Unit, and others co-opted from the Kenya Forest Service and Kenya Prisons Service.