ODM to field candidates in three Kiambu constituencies — official

ODM will field candidates in three constituencies of Kiambu county, officials have announced

Kiambu ODM chairman Charles Mbugua said they will also field MCA candidates in 14 of the county's 60 wards. "We will leave the rest to our partner Jubilee Party."

Mbugua spoke on Friday at the party offices in Ruiru during a ceremony to hand aspirants their nomination certificates.

He said their cooperation and collaboration will extend to other candidates vying in various political parties.

"We are going to support candidates affiliated to Azimio La Umoja in areas where we do not have a candidate. This is as long as those parties do not have a presidential candidate or are in Azimio," Mbugua said.

The chairman said the ODM party house in Kiambu is in order and has put in place strategies that will ensure the party will clinch the seats they have set eyes on.

"Where we have a candidate and there is another candidate from the Jubilee Party, we are going to deal with it internally to avoid conflicts. We will ensure that Azimio supports one candidate who will eventually win," Mbugua said.

The chairman also said the party will continue to advocate for peaceful campaigns devoid of divisive or abusive utterances unlike UDA party members.

Mumbi Ngaru Azimio's central presidential team leader said the prevailing peace and working relationship has brought most parties into Azimio and life to the ODM party especially in Kiambu.

"In Kiambu, our presidential candidate Raila Odinga had more than 90,000 votes. This shows the party was on the ground. We are happy that our competitors then, Jubilee Party are now partners and we can see the vibrancy in Kiambu," she said.

Mumbi said the ODM party will help campaign for their candidates within Kiambu.

This, she said will help consolidate the local and diaspora vote to ensure that the fifth president is Raila.

Margret Wanjiru Kiambu township MP aspirant said ODM has engaged them and they are confident that they will win due to the support.

"In 2017, I vied for MP on an ODM ticket. However, there wasn't much party support since the region was for Jubilee. Now that they have joined hands, we are confident of their support and that of voters," she said. 

Anthony Kimani a youth and Raila supporter said he would like to see Raila ruling since he has a heart for Kenya.

"Raila has an agenda and always thinks of the well being of Kenyans. It is his time and we will vote him in," he said.

Kimani said he would not want to see violence and the youths should not follow waves but focus on track records.

A section of Kiambu residents said in the past, the Mt Kenya region has been fighting Raila while being fed lies by politicians.

However, they said they are now teaming up with other regions to vote in Raila as the fifth president. 

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)