Six lawmakers allied to Deputy President William Ruto are upbeat that Jubilee candidate, MacDonald Mariga, will win the Kibra Constituency by-elections.
They observed that Mariga would clinch the seat arguing that Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Bernard Imran Okoth was not as popular as Mariga.
The MPS included Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot, Purity Ngirici (Kirinyaga Women Rep), Japheth Mutai (Bureti), Brighton Yegon (Konoin), Florence Bore (Kericho Women Rep), Rahab Mukami (Nyeri Women Rep).
They made the remarks yesterday at African Inland Church, Chelilis in Bureti Constituency, Kericho County, during a funds drive in aid of the construction of the church conference hall.
They dismissed the just concluded massive campaigns held by those backing Okoth as just an exercise in futility claiming Mariga was the choice of Kibra residents and on Thursday he would be the next MP to replace the late Ken Okoth.
“We are sure Mariga is the next Kibra MP because he is a darling of the voters in the area. This will prove to those who are not on the Jubilee side of the campaigns that ruling party is a force to reckon with. So we are appealing to voters to turn up in large numbers to vote for Mariga so as to demonstrate this,” Kericho Senator Aron Cheruiyot said.
Ngirici asked the likes of ODM leader Raila Odinga and his team who have pitched tent in Kibra to prepare for the defeat arguing that Jubilee candidate Mariga would win by a landslide due the popularity he enjoys amongst the Kibra residents.
“People of Kibra have realized that if they back a Jubilee candidate, they expect development and goodies from the government. So they are just waiting to vote in Mariga on Thursday,” Ngirici added.
“ODM leader Raila Odinga has been the area MP for a long time and there was nothing tangible he had done for the Kibra people saying the electorates have realized that he has nothing new to offer them and have resolved to back Mariga so that change can take place in the constituency,” Mukami said.
“We are out to prove to Raila Odinga that he is now politically irrelevant and we want to “sweep Kibra with a landslide” and we’re appealing to the voters in Kibra to wake up early on Thursday and vote in Mariga in a bid to transform the area completely,” said Mukami.
Deputy President William Ruto has been drumming up support for Mariga in the by-election. Twenty three candidates from various political parties are in the race for the Kibra seat.
MPs Mukami, Ngirici and Kabete MP James Wamacukuru said the Mt Kenya region would back Deputy President William Ruto in his quest for the presidency in 2022.
The MPS said they were with the people and they know that they will back Ruto’s bid in the 2022 polls saying there was none that match Ruto so far in the presidential race.