Kidero gets Raila’s assurance on fair party nominations

By OSCAR OBONYO

Prime Minister Raila Odinga held lengthy closed-door discussions with besieged Evans Kidero, the aspirant for Nairobi’s Governor’s seat.

The lunch-hour meeting at Orange House, yesterday, revolved around the party’s nomination ahead of March 4, General Election.

Sources told The Standard Dr Kidero personally sought the assurance of the ODM leader the exercise would be free and fair.   

Reached for comment, Kidero conceded to having met the PM: “This was just a usual in-house matter of an aspirant consulting with his party boss. And the PM has given assurance the nomination will be free and fair.” 

The meeting comes barely four days after Kidero’s emotional speech at Uhuru Park, during the unveiling of the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy leadership line-up. 

He told the rally some forces in the party were hell-bent on elbowing him out of the race in favour of a ‘weaker’ aspirant.

“There is a feeling among some if you hail from other region outside Nairobi, then you should be locked out of the race. We should go for somebody on account of his or her performance capabilities and not ethnic background,” he said.

Housing Assistant Minister Margaret Wanjiru is one of Kidero’s main challengers for the city governor’s seat within ODM, and there has been talk the party secretariat was pushing for her candidature.