By The Weekly Vision
According to the same source, a team tasked with ensuring UDA takes control of Nairobi in 2027 has prioritized the luring of more Azimio MPs to join UDA, Langata MP Felix Jalango has already left the ship along with the Women’s Representative, Esther Pasariss. Azimio MPs targeted by UDA and who is considered a soft spot are Mark Mwenje (Embakasi West), Beatrice Elachi (Dagoretti North), Yusuf Hassan (Kamukunji), and Amos Mwago (Starehe)
President William Ruto plans to wrestle Nairobi City County from the control of the opposition in his 2027 re-election bid. According to sources in UDA who spoke to us on condition of anonymity, President Ruto has developed a master plan that will ensure his party wins most MCA, Parliamentary and the Governor seat in City.
Since the introduction of multi-party politics IN Kenya in 1992 Nairobi has always been under the control of the opposition. In last year’s general elections, Nairobi had 2,416,551 registered voters where Azimio leader Raila Odinga received 767,395 Presidential votes while William Ruto received 561,775 votes. Azimio also got the majority of MCAs in the county assembly as well as the Senator’s seat; William Ruto bagged the governor’s seat.
In Nairobi County, UDA performed dismally in the parliamentary race, as Azimio won 12 of the 17 parliamentary seats. Azimio coalition MPs elected in Nairobi on ODM are Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Jalang’o (Lang’ata), Tim Wanyonyi (Westlands), Beatrice Elachi (Dagoretti North), George Aladwa (Makadara), Tom Kajwang’ (Ruaraka), Peter Orero (Kibra), and Antony Oluoch (Mathare).
Under Jubilee, Mark Mwenje (Embakasi West), Amos Mwago (Starehe), and Yusuf Hassan (Kamukunji) carried the day. The Kalonzo Wiper Party retained the Embakasi South seat under incumbent Julius Mawathe. President William Ruto-led Kenya Kwanza-affiliated legislators elected in Nairobi all came from the United Democratic Alliance. They include Benjamin Gathiru (Embakasi Central), Mwafrika Augustine Kamande (Roysambu), James Gakuya (Embakasi North), and John Karie (Dagoretti South).
According to the same source, a team tasked with ensuring UDA takes control of Nairobi in 2027 has prioritized the luring of more Azimio MPs to join UDA, Langata MP Felix Jalango has already left the ship along with the Women’s Representative, Esther Pasariss. Azimio MPs targeted by UDA and who is considered a soft spot are Mark Mwenje (Embakasi West), Beatrice Elachi (Dagoretti North), Yusuf Hassan (Kamukunji), and Amos Mwago (Starehe).
Raila Odinga’s former close ally, former Kasarani MP Elizabeth Ongoro’s recent defection from ODM to UDA is just one of the plans. She is the elder sister of Rarienda MP Atiende Omollo. Ongoro was a member of ODM, having rejoined in 2020 after defecting to the Amani National Congress (ANC) during the 2017 General Election. In 2017, the then-Nominated Senator defected from ODM, citing frustrations.
Sources say President Ruto is already scheming on how to wrestle the Senator’s seat from ODM. The seat is currently held by Edwin Sifuna. The defection of Ongoro has caused problems for Pasariss, who had planned to defect and defend her seat on the UDA ticket, according to sources. As for the governor’s seat, it will be do-or-die for Ruto following a fallout between his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, and Governor Johnson Sakaja.
Azimio is said to be plotting to have Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi as Azimio’s flag bearer, with a Kamba as his running mate. There are also claims that initial plans were to have Sifuna as the flag bearer and Pasaris as the running mate, but the plan has since been shelved. It was through the intervention of Raila Odinga who pleaded with him not to leave Nairobi, promising him that he would be the automatic flag bearer. The truth of the matter is that if Tim defects to Ford-Kenya and runs for the Bungoma gubernatorial seat, he will win the seat without breaking a sweat.
