This archive report was first published on 4 September 2019.
Published on September 4, 2019, the Kibra by-election in November 2022 is set to be overshadowed by political supremacy battles and muscle flexing ahead of the 2022 State House contest.
Deputy President William Ruto made a strategic stop-over in Kibra on his way from Moi Girls High School on Tuesday, and announced he would return on Sunday to drum up support for Jubilee's candidate, McDonald Mariga.
Mariga, a former soccer player, was dubbed a Ruto candidate from the onset, with opinion divided on his transition from the soccer pitch to the political ring.
He secured 500 out of 600 marks to edge out 15 other aspirants in the race for the Jubilee ticket, in interviews conducted by the party's election board.
However, the ODM party insists that Kibra is a prime stronghold, dismissing notions of the upcoming by-election as a Ruto vs Raila Odinga duel.
ODM will pick its candidate on Saturday, in a nomination exercise that has attracted 11 contestants, terming Mariga's entry into the race a non-issue.
The Orange Party has to contend with growing mistrust among its members on the credibility of past nominations, following two losses in Ugenya and Embakasi South parliamentary by-elections within a year over claims of fielding unpopular candidates.
“There is no one who has the ticket or is the preferred candidate. We are spending a lot of money for this exercise for printing ballot papers, hire clerks, pay for security…,” said ODM SG Edwin Sifuna.
The party is alive to the potential of rival parties infiltrating the Saturday nomination exercise or violence erupting.
Kibra constituency has 118,276 registered voters in five wards with 180 polling stations.
