Azimio-One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua have vowed to lock Deputy President William Ruto and his Kenya Kwanza team out of the city ahead of the August polls.

The two, who spoke when they criss-crossed Nairobi to rally support for their coalition candidates yesterday, expressed optimism of bagging all the elective position in the city constituencies and wards.

Raila and his team, mostly candidates for various seats in the city, addressed rallies at Lenana School, Dagoretti  Corner, South C, Ngong Road, Nairobi West, Ngong Road and Kahawa West.

“Azimio will restore Nairobi to its former glory and address challenges facing the people, mainly youth unemployment,” said Raila, who had earlier addressed a meeting of European Business Council.

“We will address some of the issues being raised, including fast-tracking issuance of work permits as well as reducing  bureaucracy that prohibits business,” he told members of the council. 

Raila blamed bureaucracy on the decision by the Ndegwa Commission in the 1990s allowing public servants to do business. “We will provide a conducive environment for doing business. It is easier to do business where there is goodwill from government. That is what we endeavour to do, given an opportunity to form the next government,” said Karua.

Those leading the Azimio rallies in the city  included ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna, governor candidate Polycarp Igathe, his deputy Philip Kaloki, former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi and his colleagues Babu Owino and George Aladwa. 

“We will change the course of Nairobi if elected.  Vote for Baba na Mama. I was seeking the governorship but I was prevailed upon to withdrawal in support of Polycarp,” said Wanyonyi in South B.

“We will vote for Baba because he has honoured women by nominating one of us as his running mate,” said former Cabinet secretary Sicily Kariuki. 

“We have Nairobi, Coast, Nyanza, Western, Central, Ukambani, and North Eastern. The Kenya Kwanza only has propaganda,” said Owino. 

Azimio la Umoja Coalition has resorted  to a key strategy that will help them get most of the elective positions in Nairobi. 

Zoning the city

“As a coalition we agreed to zone the city where both Jubilee and ODM got eight constituencies and Wiper one,” said Sifuna. In the Azimio line up, ODM has bagged Mathare under MP Anthony Oluoch, Embakasi East (Owino), Ruaraka (TJ Kajwang), Makadara (Aladwa) and Westlands (Wanyonyi). Sifuna was handed the senatorial ticket while incumbent Woman Rep Esther Passaris will defend her post.

Following Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati’s choice to run for Kisii governor, Gender CAS Beatrice Elachi was given the ticket to succeed him. Former Kiss FM presenter Felix Odiwour, alias Jalang’o, won the Langata primaries, while Peter Orero scooped the Kibra nominations, locking out the incumbent, Imran Okoth.

From Jubilee, Roysambu will be contested by Ndirangu Waihenya, Kasarani (Mercy Gakuya), Kamukunji (Abdi Yussuf Hassan), Dagoretti South (Dennis Waweru), Embakasi North (Harrison Wangoro), Embakasi West (Mark Mwenje), Embakasi Central (former Mayor John Ndirangu) and Starehe (Amos Mwago).

Meanwhile, ODM supporters have raised concern over delays in naming  a candidate for the Karen Ward MCA seat. The party is yet to settle a standoff over the nomination that was disputed. 

The national polls agency has been  clearing candidates for various seats, with the exercise set to end on June 6. The seat is occupied by David Mberia, who is fighting to serve a fourth time.  The stalemate is said to have spilled to the party’s top hierarchy and is now at the hands of the election director, who is also Suna East MP Junet Mohammed.