The Prime Minister is Coming The Prime Minister is Coming!

It is hard to believe that I even know about Prime Minister Raila Odinga coming to Kakamega. But it is news around here for lots of reasons, and not because the elections are imminent: they are in 2012. As background there was tremendous violence and upheaval nation-wide after the election of 2007. It destroyed the tourist trade which is still in 2010 fighting its way back. Tourism is key in Kenya and they are desperate for tourism to return. Following the upheaval, there was a power-sharing agreement reached between the 2 men who claimed victory, and they currently serve as President and Prime Minister. The general consensus is they are doing a lousy job, but alas peace has broken out here and that is very important. The Prime Minister has a voter base in western Kenya so he is stopping by. A 2nd grade girl from Kakamega Township Primary will present flowers to the PM...that is quite a WOW for our little school. The really big news: the Kakamega Salvation Army Corps Band will play in the stadium! Since Shanon is in the band, she will be asked to march musically from Family Bank downtown to the stadium at the north end of Kakamega. We have not ventured to an event at the stadium, so no telling just what that entails, but wanted to fill you in on the local news as it breaks. I will follow up with the reviews of the PM's visit, as the locals see it.....