Last time Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga were in Kisumu,the duo was up to some mischief.The head of state broke protocol and drove away with Raila Odinga to a secret location,without their close associates or security detail and stayed away for over four hours.All this while, the presidential jet had its engine running waiting for the president at Kisumu International Airport.
Almost three months later,the two leaders again head to Kisumu,but this time it is for the Senator’s Summit which will run for three days,between April 15th to April 18th.President Uhuru will open the Summit and offer his keynote address on Monday,followed by Raila Odinga on Tuesday.The Deputy President William Ruto will then close the event on Wednesday.
The choice of Kisumu to host President Uhuru is a political message coded to show how things in the past year have changed, after the handshake.It is a symbolic to express how much Uhuru Kenyatta is accepted in Odinga’s bedrock,as well as the flourishing relationship between the two sons of Kenya’s political founders.
Raila Odinga,Fred Matiang’i and the government entourage is already in the lakeside city ready to receive President Uhuru,who,sources indicate will have a closed door meeting with Raila Odinga as well as entire political leadership of Nyanza at State House Kisumu,before proceeding to the Summit.