This archive report was first published on 22 September 2019.
Raila's Kibra Conundrum: A Shift in Strategy ¶
Published on September 22, 2019
After losing the Ugenya and Embakasi South parliamentary seats, Raila Odinga, the ODM party leader, has taken a more cautious approach in the Kibra by-election. The party had initially been confident of winning the seat, given its historical stronghold in the area.
However, the entry of former footballer McDonald Mariga into the fray has raised concerns within the ODM party, with some questioning whether Mariga's popularity would be enough to secure the seat.
According to sources within the party, Raila has been closely monitoring the situation and has even taken to door-to-door campaigning to ensure that the ODM candidate, Imran Okoth, wins the seat.
Junet Mohammed, the ODM party's election strategist, has confirmed that the party has shifted its strategy to focus on door-to-door campaigning, rather than relying on large-scale rallies.
"Raundi hii tunaenda nyumba kwa nyumba, mikutano ya siasa tumewachia Owalo (mgombea wa ANC) na Mudavadi," Mohammed said in an interview.
Additionally, the ODM party has also enlisted the help of Maina Kamanda, a seasoned politician from the Jubilee party, to help mobilize the Kikuyu vote in the area.
George Aladwa and Tim Wanyonyi, two ODM party members, have also been tasked with mobilizing the Luhya vote in the area.
Wanyonyi has expressed the importance of the Kibra seat in Raila's political journey, saying, "Uchaguzi huu ni muhimu sana katika safari ya kisiasa ya Baba, na yetu sisi pia. Tutafanya kila kitu kuhakikisha kiti kimebaki na ODM."
