Placenta Party campaigns in Kisumu

By Kepher Otieno

There was anxiety in Kisumu town as Placenta Party of Kenya officials made a debut surprise in a bid to sell their ideas.

Party chairman Quincy Timberlake and presidential candidate Joseph Hellon were accompanied by their spouses Esther Timberlake and Kuyu Hellon.

Anxious crowds surged towards them as they went from street to street.

The team attempted to counter negative propaganda about their Finger of God Church, with Timberlake denying claims that they were involved in cult-like activities and that their ways were shrouded in mystery.

"I want to reassure Kenyans that we are not a cult movement. Our actions are purely driven by Biblical doctrines," he explained when they later visited The Standard newsroom.

Hellon claimed they were a force to reckon with and that is why they were being discredited.

At one point, the team met a rude shock in one of the popular Bunge La Wananchi bases in the town, when they tried to convince locals that they would offer alternative leadership.

Irate youth cautioned: "If you want to sell your Placenta party, do so at will, but avoid invoking people’s names. This is a new Kenya. It is your policies to win us and not the amount of slur against leaders," said Tom Amadi.

The crowd even shouted down Mrs Timberlake and on sensing danger, the team stopped its briefings and walked out of the venue.

But the youth engaged them in a street chase, with some asking them to declare their sudden source of wealth if they were not a cult-like entity.

Later, Hellon declared that he was still keen on running for the presidency in 2012, with Esther as his running mate.

Esther declared she had dropped her earlier ambitions to run for Rachuonyo Parliamentary seat, while Timberlake dropped his bid for Lang’ata and switched to Kisumu Town East.

"I moved round the town and many people nudged me to come down to Kisumu Town East. So I succumb to their wishes and switch base from Lang’ata to the lakeside city," he said.

They said they had received adequate funding to oil their campaigns and warned opponents to brace for a titanic duel when they roll out their action plan ahead of 2012.