NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 3 – Former UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi will hold a major home-coming ceremony in western Kenya on Saturday, as part of his presidential bid popularization.
Kituyi, who is seeking to become Kenya’s fifth president in the forthcoming General Election, hails from Bungoma County, hence his grand homecoming before he begins countrywide tours.
An itinerary released by his campaign team states that he will land at Matulo Airstrip in Webuye at 8.00 am where will be received by his supporters, friends and family.
“The procession of his convoy will pass through Kanduyi, to Chwele, Kimilili, Kamukuywa, Naitiri and terminate at Mbakalo grounds for the homecoming event,” bis campaign said.
National and local leaders are expected to grace the occasion.
Kituyi is on Sunday also set to hold an interdenominational church service at his Mbakalo home where he will meet local leaders.
Kituyi returned to the country last month after resigning from the prestigious UN post where he served for eight years, and made it clear that he is on the race to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta whose second and final term ends next year.
The former Kimilili MP who also served as a Cabinet Minister in former President Mwai Kibaki’s administration has been speaking about his bid since last year, the latest being on January 3 during a meeting with a group of professionals in Bungoma.
With political realignments taking shape in the country ahead of the high stake General Election, it remains unclear which political party Kituyi will use to vie for the country’s top seat.
Kituyi joins a growing list of aspirants for the top job among them Deputy President William Ruto, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Amani National Congress Party Leader Musalia Mudavadi, Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Baringo Senator Gideon Moi.
During his tenure at the UN body, Kituyi was credited for helping bring the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) into fruition and for his contribution to the historic Nairobi Maafikiano outcome document of the UNCTAD14 conference.