Sunday, September 19, 2010

Wanjiru seeks Raila’s blessing in last campaign

By OLIVER MATHENGE omathenge@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Saturday, September 18 2010 at 22:00

Former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru on Saturday camped for hours outside the offices of Prime Minister Raila Odinga in a last-ditch efforts to ride on his influence to recapture the seat she lost in a petition.

The bishop wanted the PM to join her in the last campaign trail ahead of Monday’s by-election.

She is facing strong challenge from former MP Maina Kamanda and hopes the ‘coattails effect’ would shore up her support.

Mr Odinga joined the bishop in Starehe and also held a rally to campaign for the Makadara ODM candidate Reuben Ndolo. He appealed for a peaceful vote.

In Starehe, the race has narrowed down to be between Mr Kamanda and Bishop Wanjiru.

In Makadara it is between Mr Ndolo and former MP Dick Wathika.

However, Narc Kenya candidate Gedion Mbuvi, popularly known as Mike Sonko, could spring a surprise as happened in the South Mugirango by-election where both ODM and PNU lost.

The two constituencies are key to both ODM and PNU as they prepare the battleground for the 2012 General Election.

The by-election also comes after the country achieved a new Constitution vigorously campaigned for by both parties, which form the grand coalition government.

Mr Kamanda of PNU and a former Gender minister won the election petition against Bishop Wanjiru, who was declared winner in the 2007 elections.

Other candidates in Starehe are John Kagimbi (Safina), Jackson Mwangi (Narc-K), Stephen Nyagah (People’s Patriotic Party), John Opoth (Social Democratic Party) and David Ng’ang’a Wakahiu (National Patriotic Party).

Mr Kamanda and Bishop Wanjiru have promised to focuss on the issues facing the constituents, especially the youth and women.

Mr Kamanda, who is PNU organising secretary, has repeatedly said that his victory was stolen in 2007 but he is set to reclaim the seat he lost to Bishop Wanjiru.

A recount of the votes in Starehe during the petition showed that Mr Kamanda had won the 2007 election with 49,306 votes while Bishop Wanjiru had 34,871. The bishop has been trying to wish away the vote recount, which showed that she had lost the election by close to 15,000 votes.

Mr Kamanda is PNU’s pointman in Nairobi and played a key role in the recent ‘Yes’ campaigns on the referendum in the city. This could turn out to be an advantage for the former minister as his main rival was with the church grouping that was spearheading the ‘No’ campaign.

Throughout the campaign, Mr Kamanda has employed a door-to-door strategy, focusing mainly on the vote-rich Mathare Valley where he draws a lot of support.

Bishop Wanjiru who is the Jesus Is Alive Ministries founder went all out, even using her weekly evangelistic TV programme, to hunt for votes.

Starehe has 135,000 registered voters and includes the Nairobi central business district.

In the Makadara by-election, the battle has turned into a three-horse race for Ndolo, Wathika and Mbuvi.

In 2007, Mr Ndolo was ousted by Mr Wathika but successfully challenged the results in court.

There are 125,000 registered voters in Makadara, most of them in informal settlements. And on Saturday, the three candidates made the last dash in getting the vote-rich slum areas.

Mr Wathika also got a boost when former assistant minister Omingo Magara helped him campaign in the vast constituency.

Mr Mbuvi has been distributing umbrellas with his name on them to roadside sellers. He has been branding himself a voice of the poor.

Mr Wathika has distributed furniture in the primary schools as he capitalises on his development record.

“The evidence of my work is self explanatory. I am requesting you give me another chance to finish the work I started.” Mr Wathika used the deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta to campaign for him while Mr Ndolo traversed the same area with Cabinet ministers Anyang’ Nyong’o, Fred Gumo, James Orengo, Joe Nyagah among others.

Mr Mbuvi who has settled for the flower party has promised residents that he will focus on unemployment, women’s projects, education, drainage and sanitation in the slums and infrastructure.

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