• Ruto's allies had already fronted televangelist and ex-assistant minister Margret Wanjiru to fly the Tangatanga flag in Nairobi before the High Court halted the by-election that was slated for February 18.
• The Kieleweke wing which supports the BBI is said to be working on a scheme to install former Dagorreti South MP Denis Waweru who also co-chairs the BBI secretariat.
Image: FILE
Allies of opposition chief Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta are engaged in behind the scenes schemes to control Nairobi politics ahead of 2022.
This even as Deputy President William Ruto is also fighting for a share of the city politics amid indications the BBI campaigns could shape the 2022 battle.
The pro-handshake forces coalescing around the President and Raila have started laying ground on how to join forces to ward off a charm offensive from Ruto.
Ruto's Tangatanga brigade has been moving around with the DP to attend church services in the city as well as hold youth and women empowerment programmes.
Former Starehe MP and city veteran politician Maina Kamanda is leading a pro-BBI team to market the document in Nairobi.
Kamanda, a Jubilee nominated MP, has raised the stakes in the battle for the control of Nairobi politics given his camaraderie with ODM boss Raila Odinga.
The MP, seen as the figurehead of Mt Kenya politics in the city, has been moving with Raila across the capital as they drum up support for the BBI process.
His faction is also said to have identified various strong candidates to take on Ruto's allies in parliamentary and ward elections in Nairobi.
"The battle for the control of city politics has started in earnest and a lot more is expected to happen as politicians align themselves," said former Kasarani MP John Njoroge.
Njoroge admitted that both camps are scheming how to outdo each other in the control of Nairobi politics ahead of the 2022 polls.
"Vicious fights will be witnessed at the parliamentary levels because each side has identified candidates already," he said.
The Star has established that the BBI campaigns could have a huge impact on the alignments likely to shape up ahead of the 2022 general elections in the capital city.
Mt Kenya politicians backing BBI in the capital are said to be scheming to control city power in the next general election.
On the other hand, Ruto's Tangatanga allied MPs in the city are also plotting how to recapture the Nairobi governor's seat in 2022.
This is if there will be no by-election any time soon.
“It is going to be a high-stakes battle as the country nears the 2022 general election,” admitted Makadara MP George Aladwa.
According to Aladwa, the battle lines are already drawn between the two factions fighting each other with more alignments expected in the coming months.
Ruto's allies had already fronted televangelist and ex-assistant minister Margret Wanjiru to fly the Tangatanga flag in Nairobi before the High Court halted the by-election that was slated for February 18.
The Kieleweke wing which supports the BBI is said to be working on a scheme to install former Dagorreti South MP Denis Waweru who also co-chairs the BBI secretariat.
Some Tangatanga MPs admitted that their Kieleweke counterparts have a head-start in city politics given the cosmopolitan nature of the capital and the high dominance by tribes backing BBI.
“We in Tangatanga know that it will not be a walk in the park given that the likes of Kamanda are leading the BBI campaigns. However, we are scheming to turn the tide in our favour,” said Embakasi North MP James Gakuya.
Gakuya said Kamanda, as a veteran city politician, has strong political connections that he wants to exploit to spoil the party for Tangatanga in the capital.
“They will give us a run for our money but we shall be there as well,” he said.
Dagorreti North MP Simba Arati, who is another key player in the BBI push in the city said the City Hall will be under a handshake governor in 2022.
“The dynamics of Nairobi politics are fast changing but we are awake to the reality that as handshake partners we want to take charge of the capital city in 2022,” Arati said.
The vocal politician insisted that the ODM party will work closely with the Jubilee faction of President Uhuru in the city led by Kamanda to install a handshake governor.
“It now appears that the elections would be in 2022, but as a party, we are preparing within the spirit of the handshake to take over the capital,” he said.
Nairobi has 17 MPs with seven of them belonging to the ODM party while Jubilee holds the 10 seats.
Ruto's Tangatanga faction has Gakuya, Benjamin Gathiru Mwangi of Embakasi central, Nixon Kiprotich Korir of Lang'ata, John Kiarie Waweru( Dagorreti South ) and Embakasi West George Theuri.
Charles Kanyi Njagua Charles Njagua aka Jaguar of Starehe who had been backing Tangatanga has been flip-flopping of late.
Others who support the handshake including Timothy Wanyonyi (Westlands), Bernad Okoth (Kibra), Isaac Waihenya Ndirangu (Roysambu), Mercy Wanjiku Gakuya (Kasarani) and Kajwang' Tom Joseph of Ruaraka.
Other BBI supporters include Julius Musili Mawathe (Embakasi south), Babu Owino (Embakasi East), George Aladwa of Makadara and Anthony Tom Olouch Anthony Oluoch of Mathare.