ODM Party, on Tuesday, received a major boost after Baringo County Woman Representative, Gladwell Cheruiyot, asserted that Kanu party will support ODM candidate in Kibra’s by-elections.
Speaking on Citizen TV Day Break morning show, the woman rep noted that Kanu, which was keen on supporting the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM party leader Raila Odinga, would back ODM.
“I’m a ‘handshake’ person, so I will tend to support ODM in Kibra by-election. They (Jubilee) don’t like the handshake, that is why we (Kanu) will support an ODM candidate,” stated Gladwell.
"I'm a 'handshake' person, so I will tend to support ODM in Kibra by-election. They (Jubilee) don't like handshake, that is why we (Kanu) will support an ODM candidate," ~ Baringo Woman Representative Gladwell Cheruiyot on Citizen TV Morning show. pic.twitter.com/P1jgRbMFpW
— Baringo News (@BaringoNews) September 3, 2019
While acknowledging the existing democracy in the country, Gladwell maintained that each party in the country had the freedom to choose which candidate to support.
In what was seen as an indirect attack on Tanga-tanga side of the jubilee administration, the Kanu woman rep opined that some politician had fishy motives of fielding a certain candidate in a by-election.
DP William Ruto’s Jubilee side of the government has not been in good relationship with Kanu, which is led by Baringo Senator Gideon Moi, owing to the fact that the two are entangled in a political supremacy war, each trying to control the vote-rich Rift Valley.
Gladwell Cheruyiot on Kibra By-Election: In as much as we are really looking for democracy in this country, it is important to know that there are favourites for parties
Sometimes people have reasons as to why they are fielding a certain candidate #DayBreak pic.twitter.com/8uFii195b2
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) September 3, 2019
Gladwell’s sentiments came just a few hours after vocal Gatundu South MP, Moses Kuria, through his social media account, maintained that he would also support Raila Odinga’s ODM candidate.
While indirectly blaming DP William Ruto for ‘misusing’ Jubilee’s candidate Macdonald Mariga, Kuria advised the football legendary to be patient and wait for his ripe time to come in order to join politics.
“The problem with Kibra constituency has been political tourism and slum tourism. My late friend Ken Okoth was born in Kibra hence his deep passion to uplift the lives of Kibra people. I have challenged my friend Ronnie Osumba to create a Born in Kibra (BIK) movement to bring together people who manage to break off from the challenges of Kibra and make it in life to go back and help lift Kibra from the yoke of poverty. Political tourists and slum tourists will not help Kibra. The person I vouch for to take forward from where Ken left is another Born in Kibra, Benson Musungu,” posted Kuria on Facebook.
https://twitter.com/HonMoses_Kuria/status/1168623170821197826
Kuria felt out with Dr Ruto immediately after the 2017 General Election. It is not yet clear what led to their fall out, with Kuria announcing that he will view for the Presidency in 2022 using his own party Transformation National Alliance Party (TNA).