Opposition leader, Raila Odinga, is set to host 4 African Presidents for the mega launch of Ksh3 billion Kisumu port, next Thursday.
The facelift is expected to restore the glory of the once vibrant East Africa hub, an area previously perceived as deliberately marginalised by the state.
According to The Star, the former Premier will host President Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Felix Tshisekedi (Congo) and John Magufuli (Tanzania).
Magufuli and Tsisekedi are Raila’s close allies.
Raila has keenly followed every step of the rehabilitation of the port and visited almost five times since the beginning of this year, pointing at how precious the project is to him.
Last Thursday, Raila, President Kenyatta and DP William Ruto, visited the port to inspect the progress of the repairs, after the burial of the late Bomet Governor, Joyce Laboso.
Last month, President Kenyatta made an impromptu visit to the Port of Kisumu en route from Tanzania.
During the impromptu visit, he was unimpressed with the slow pace of the work that was being undertaken.
Kisumu Deputy Governor, Mathews Owili, stated that the president ordered the contractors to speed up the renovation and complete it in three weeks.
“He cautioned the contractors after expressing concern about the speed with which they are doing the job. He is serious about this port and that is why he insisted it must be done faster,” he told reporters.
“He wants everything to be in place before the launch and he is very strict to the departmental heads in charge,” he added.
Interior CS, Fred Matiang’i, has also visited the site a number of times
