Azimio la Umoja Presidential candidate Raila Odinga has lashed out at Bungoma county residents after recent opinion polls showed that his fierce competitor and Kenya Kwanza Alliance Presidential candidate William Ruto is leading in the county.
Speaking on Friday in Kimilili town during Azimio la Umoja's campaigns in Bungoma, the visibly agitated Raila took on Bungoma residents, saying they had ashamed and let him down in a region that he considers one of his strongholds and second home.
Raila wondered why the opinion polls had placed Ruto at 60% and him at 40% in the county, adding that he deserved better having defended the interests of the Bungoma people.
"An opinion poll which was carried out last week shows that Raila is trailing Ruto in Bungoma. Ruto is at 60% while I (Raila) am at 40%, shame on you people, shame on you, I feel very slighted," stated Raila.
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Raila, who was speaking in the largely Bukusu and Teso communities dominated county, wondered why they have abandoned him, adding that some of the iconic community's leaders had stood by him in the past and that the residents should follow in their footsteps.
"I look at the forces of liberation in this community: Masinde Muliro, Kijana Wamalwa, and Elijah Masinde, and asked myself are these people even Bukusus? I thought Bukusus are made of a different material,” added Raila
Raila is banking on the Bungoma county vote as he makes a fifth stab at the presidency on August 9, this year.
In the 2017 general polls, Raila enjoyed massive support from the four Western Kenya counties including Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga, and Busia.
This was attributed to the support he was getting from his former Nasa coalition allies including Musalia Mudavadi of ANC and Moses Wetangula of Ford Kenya, who have since ditched him and supported William Ruto.
Already, Mudavadi and Wetangula have promised to deliver 70% of Western Kenya's vote to Ruto's vote basket, a move that is likely to complicate things for Raila, who is looking forward to consolidating his former strongholds.
He was accompanied by Defence CS Eugene Wamalwa, and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, among other Azimio allied leaders from the region.
