D-Day for Governor Mruttu at ODM primaries in Taita Taveta

Council of Governor's (CoGs) Vice chairman who is also the Taita-Taveta County Governor John Mruttu PHOTO:STANDARD

Governor John Mruttu and Wundanyi MP Thomas Mwadeghu have been campaigning vigorously ahead of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) primaries today.

Voters will decide who between the two perennial rivals will carry the ODM flag for the county's governor during the August 8 elections. 

Both have have been going around the county in vehicles mounted with loud speakers and posters bearing the slogans 'Mruttu Tena' and 'Mwadeghu Sasa'. The messages are also written on T-shirts and caps distributed to their supporters.

Their close allies have intimated that the politicians have spent huge amounts of money to rally their supporters.

Mr Mruttu (right) and Mr Mwadeghu have boasted about their development records during their campaigns.

Though he claims to have no resources, Mwadeghu has been holding high-profile campaigns.

"It will be a battle of the titans. There will be a bruising battle between the two," said one of Mwadeghu's close allies.

Mruttu has engaged in a well-coordinated campaign, roping in his wife, Hope, and his executives to ensure that he is nominated.

Hope Mruttu has been mobilising women and youth groups through her "Save our Queens" initiative to rally behind her husband.

The executives have been criss-crossing the county highlighting their government's achievements.

Mruttu and Mwadeghu's relationship has been sour since the last General Election. Mwadeghu, who supported the governor during the elections, has constantly accused Mruttu's administration of being inept and corrupt.

Last week, chaos erupted at an ODM meeting after the governor and Mwadeghu disagreed over the criteria to be used during the party primaries.

The meeting had been convened by the County Nominations Board to decide on the method to be used in today's nominations.

Trouble started when the governor claimed that the nomination board members would not conduct free and fair nominations because his rival had hosted them in Mombasa at the weekend to rig him out.