NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga. [Photo/ X News]
Raila Odinga’s NASA presidential campaign is currently going through a tough time of financial constraints, which has forced the opposition to slow down its campaigns, sources have revealed.
The Weekly Citizen, in an exclusive report, reports that although some analysts have attributed Raila’s reduced campaigning pace to health concerns, the real cause is the lack of enough funds. First, the popular paper reports, Raila is worried that county rivalries in his strongholds will most likely cause violence, scaring away many voters. That will stop thousands of voters from participating in the exercise that would normally go to the ODM leader. NASA heavy financier Jimmy Wanjigi, who has been accused of benefitting from billion-shilling corruption scandals in the country, has reportedly fled Kenya, sensing that NASA is headed for a defeat. His steady source of financing the opposition has recently reduced, denying Raila the hundreds of millions they were assured of. Sources quoted by the paper revealed that Raila himself is not willing to spend too much of his money on the NASA campaigns, as he is not confident of a victory. Analysts see this as a strategy to save on his retirement, incase he quits politics after August 8. Concerns of cash constraints in NASA have recently grown old, that Raila’s communication advisor Salim Lone had to come out to explain that indeed the campaign was broke, but that something was being done to address the situation. Mr Lone admitted that NASA had failed to purchase campaign materials such as caps, branded reflector jackets, T-shirts, flyers, billboards and posters. It has been evident that in the NASA rallies, supported do not wear the campaign gear, unlike the Jubilee ones. Another proof of the cash problems in NASA is the lack of campaign ads in electronic and print media. Jubilee has been dominating the media with ads of projects done over the past four years. During Raila’s campaign rallies, branded vehicles have been lacking. There have been efforts urge supporters to surrender their cars for the campaigns but many have not heeded the call. In denying that the NASA campaign is broke, Mr Lone said most of the money in the opposition had been used to protest NASA votes. It remains to be seen how Raila’s campaigns will run for the next two weeks.