Covid-19 rules could have suffered a major setback in Kisumu City on Thursday after President Uhuru Kenyatta together with his ‘brother’ Raila Odinga took to the streets of Kisumu by storm without observing any social distance.
Business came to a near standstill around the Kondele area as residents turned out in large numbers to welcome the two into the lakeside city.
Residents dancing to different music tunes, lined up along the famous Kondele roundabout, waiting for the two to arrive and address them, just a day after the two unveiled the BBI report in Kisii.
The residents, who warmly welcomed the BBI report, expressed their joy, saying they were fully behind the initiative and the two leaders.
“This is the best thing that has ever happened after the 2018 handshake. We want to take the president and Raila assuring them that we in Kisumu are fully behind the BBI,” stated one local Chris Ouma.
President Uhuru, together with Raila, and other leaders from the region, were for the better part of Thursday morning, held up in a close door meeting at Yacht Club.
Among the leaders who were present included four governors from Nyanza counties, senators, women representatives, MPs, deputy governor, the Kisumu County Assembly Speaker and MCAs.
The main agenda of the meeting was not immediately established, but it is highly suspected that the BBI and the 2022 politics took a center stage at the meeting.
And immediately the President’s convoy snaked its way through Kondele, residents block the famous roundabout while chanting pro-Uhuru Raila songs.
#UhuruinKisumu courtesy @StandardKenya @KTNNewsKE pic.twitter.com/RxyM3OyLYr
— Lindah Oguttu (@lindahoguttu) October 22, 2020
The two were forced to make several stopovers and address the jubilant locals along the streets as they made their way into the CBD. The crowd
“President Uhuru Kenyatta acknowledges greetings from thousands of Kisumu City residents who turned out to welcome him at the start of his tour of development projects in the County today,” read a post from State House.
The president later laid the foundation for the construction of a state-of-the-art Sports Complex at the Kisumu Showgrounds.
Uhuru who was accompanied by ODM leader Raila Odinga said the complex will be launched next year in April.
Here are some more photos from Kisumu;