Nairobi News

News

Mathare aspirants rush to TNA ahead of court ruling


At least four aspirants have rushed to the TNA headquarters seeking the party’s nod for the Mathare Parliamentary seat ahead of Supreme Court ruling on the impending by election.

The court will on Wednesday interpret the Court of Appeal ruling that ordered a repeat poll after quashing an earlier High Court Judgment that ruled former MP George Wanjohi was validly elected as MP.

The favourites

It will give directions over the March 18 ruling that found it was not possible to know who won the seat. Mr Wanjohi and Bishop Margaret Wanjiru’s son, Mr Steven Kariuki were the favourites.

But even as the Supreme Court judgment was awaited, there was a flurry of activities at the TNA headquarters in Hurlingham as aspirants applied for the ticket.

Four aspirants had applied by Tuesday evening. They are Mr Muthuma Warigi, a telecommunications businessman, Mr Arnold Maliba, a spokesman of the National Youth Council (NYC), Mr Samuel Ndung’u Wa Grace, a former Huruma councillor and Mr Jackson Mwangi, a former aspirant for the old Starehe Constituency on a Narc Kenya ticket.

They were rushing to beat Thursday’s deadline for expression of interest issued by party chairman Johnson Sakaja.

 

Mr Sakaja said the party needed to know who was interested before it could give a direction on the mode of selecting its flagbearer.

The call for interested parties seems to have put the last nail on efforts by Mr Wanjohi to secure a direct ticket as was the norm in other areas.

On Tuesday Mr Wanjohi welcomed competition.

“The matter is at the highest court of the land. Once they make a ruling, I will roll out my campaigns. I do not fear those interested. I will fight them when the time comes,” he said.

ODM has settled on Mr Kariuki commonly known as K1 as its flag-bearer in the elections.

Additional reporting by Justus Wanga.