Things are heating up on the political front ahead of the Kibra by-elections next week, and on Sunday, the party candidates sought to establish their bases further, albeit with confrontations which marred the campaigns. ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi’s team was pelted with stones from rowdy youths during a rally at Kamukunji area, in the company of party candidate Eliud Owalo. Mudavadi condemned the violence, saying some parties have resorted to violence to intimidate voters.
Earlier, ODM and Ford Kenya supporters had engaged in a scuffle over the booking of Bukungu grounds for the day. Ford Kenya party candidate Khamisi Butichi said ODM wanted to use all stopovers to the venue of their rally in Laini Saba, “What ODM are doing is that they are having their rally in Laini Saba but they want to use all stop overs to Laini Saba which is not possible because even the other candidates who are holding meetings elsewhere in Kamukunji their meeting has been disrupted. We are calling upon IEBC, the police to intervene because we cannot have one party dominating all the venues,” he lamented.
at Laini Saba, Raila told Kibra residents that voting for Imran Okoth, the ODM candidate equates to voting for him. On his part, Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya called for sanity during campaigns, saying votes should be sought with gentleness, “Votes are like women, you should be gentle.” Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala didn’t go with the script, however, opting to campaign for the ODM candidate instead of ANC’s Owalo. He didn’t mind his presence at the ODM campaigns, affirming that ANC is fully supporting Okoth.
On the other hand, the Jubilee team led by Deputy President William Ruto and party candidate McDonald Mariga also held campaigns on Sunday. DP Ruto pledged to step up development in the constituency, long touted to be ODM’s stronghold, “I’ve seen you have decided to transform Kibra. I assure you we will hold your arms along the way until Kibra is transformed,” he said. The by-election is slated for November 7th.