Jubilee hopefuls for Nairobi governor have welcomed former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth entry into the race.
They, however, urged the 2013 presidential candidate to fold up his Kenya National Congress party and join the Jubilee Party.
On Sunday Kenneth announced he will run for Nairobi or Murang’a governor. He said he will support President Uhuru Kenyatta’s reelection.
“Many [people] have asked me to consider the two counties as options, but we are still consulting widely,” Kenneth said.
Senator Mike Sonko said, “I wish to welcome the entry of former presidential candidate Peter Kenneth into the race for Nairobi governor, a seat that has attracted a high number of JP aspirants.”
Laudable move
Kenneth did not say whether he will run on the KNC ticket or dissolve it and join JP. But nominated MP Johnson Sakaja said all people supporting the President’s reelection have joined JP and Kenneth should follow suit.
“The move is laudable. Kenneth must now commence the process of dissolving KNC,” he said. Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru declined to comment on Kenneth’s possible entry into the already crowded race.
Water CS Eugene Wamalwa, former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru and Esther Passaris were unavailable for comment. Governor Evans Kidero has said on many occasions he welcomes aspirants to run for any political seat in Nairobi provided they are qualified.
“Nobody should be called an outsider. Nairobi belongs to all of us and any Kenyan has the right to run for the seat on any party or as an independent,” he said in June.
Kidero seems headed to be Cord’s sole candidate, as nobody has come out to challenge him for the coalition’s ticket. The other candidates, except Passaris, who plans to form her own party, and Miguna Miguna, who will run as an independent, are scrambling for the JP ticket.
Other hopefuls are former National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende and former Town Clerk Philip Kisia.
