Mudavadi, Wetang’ula lead Kibra vote-hunt

ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi (centre) during Kibra by-election campaigns. [Collins Kweyu, Standard]

Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi and Ford-Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula yesterday separately led vote hunts for their respective party candidates in the Kibra parliamentary by-election.

Mr Mudavadi said Eliud Owalo, a former ODM strategist, was the best candidate for the seat, arguing that having grown up in Kibra, the candidate understood the constituency well. 

In a remark that appeared to be directed at ODM leader Raila Odinga, Mudavadi noted that nobody had the right of saying Kibra was their constituency. 

Musalia said he decided to field Owalo, surprising many who thought he would nominate a Luhya candidate since he (Mudavadi) was a nationalist.

Owalo, speaking on his agenda, promised to increase bursaries from Sh5,000 for each student to Sh10,000.

Ford-Kenya candidate Khamisi Butichi has at the same time promised to carry on the late Ken Okoth’s legacy if elected.

Okoth’s projects

Speaking yesterday at the Friends Church in Mashimoni, Kibra, Mr Butichi said he planned on continuing the projects started by Okoth, particularly through providing bursaries to students, creating jobs for the slum’s unemployed youth, digging boreholes in each ward and creating empowerment projects for women.

Butichi noted that Kibra deserved an MP from the area and that none of the other candidates vying in the elections could fill Okoth’s shoes.

Bad history

“You should choose a leader who will continue with Ken Okoth’s development record. I have looked at the candidates vying, I have not seen anyone who will fit in Okoth’s shoes. They have come from wherever to lie to you here, but we know about their bad history,” he said.

In drumming up support for Butichi, Mr Wetang’ula termed Butichi a leader who identified with the people of Kibra.

He further called for peaceful elections.