•The speaker remained in Jubilee Party when Lenku crossed over to ODM two weeks ago.
•Osoi said he chose to join the "popular team" of former governor Nkedianye after weighing various factors, options and the mood of the county.
Image: KURGAT MARINDANY
Governor Joseph ole Lenku’s re-election bid appeared to be in turmoil after his point-man, Johnson Osoi, decamped from his side.
Osoi, who is the county assembly speaker, joined former governor David Nkedianye's camp and declared his support for his 2022 governor bid.
The speaker remained in Jubilee Party when Lenku crossed over to ODM two weeks ago. He is seeking to become the next Kajiado senator. He will go for the nominations with politicians Brian Sekento and Moses Sakuda.
Osoi said he chose to join the "popular team" of former governor Nkedianye after weighing various factors, options and the mood of the county, which is demanding leadership change.
As the former governor starts gaining popularity on the ground, Lenku’s star is dimming as candidates in ODM are jittery about his alleged open bias in supporting the candidates he moved with them to the opposition party.
Lenku has since defended his actions in ODM, claiming that he does not own the party and neither is he a member of its election board.
The governor left Jubilee in a huff after Nkedianye’s entry, whose hope was to face the incumbent governor in the nominations.
Lenku was weary of the nomination in Jubilee because he feared being trounced by any other popular candidate.
He (Lenku) had severally attempted to convince President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga to issue him a direct Azimio la Umoja coalition ticket but in vain.
The governor’s reelection woes began soon after Nkedianye picked Kajiado North MP Joseph Manje as his running mate sometime late last year.
Manje, a popular leader in Kajiado North, has the command of the majority of the Kikuyu vote that propelled Lenku to power in 2017.
“We have the ground, that is the fact. Lenku is scared because we have a formidable team ahead of the August 9 general elections,” said Manje on Saturday.
Nkedianye, while responding to the events that led to Osoi’s defection to his camp, said he is not bothered by Lenku’s sideshows but to sell his manifesto to the people of Kajiado.
“Kajiado is now realising it made a wrong choice in 2017, and would not now want to make the same mistake this time around,” said Nkedianye.
While Lenku may still maintain his hardline supporters from the Orokiteng clan of “Black Cows”, his chances of getting the support of the majority of Kikuyu people are not guaranteed.
On the other hand, Nkedianye who is from the Odomong’i clan of “Red Cows” will also be supported by his people, a section of the Black Cows, who parted ways with Lenku after all hospitals were run down in all the 5 sub-counties.
With the support of the Kikuyu community, Nkedianye is most likely going to make a comeback in the August 9 general elections.
What has also dented Lenku’s reputation, is not paying pending bills that accrued during Nkedianye’s tenure after being sworn in in 2017.
After he took over that year, Lenku told the Star that he will not pay any money owed to the newspapers because Nkedianye used them to fight him during the campaigns of that election year.
The focus is now on Nkedianye and whoever will be nominated to run for governor from the UDA side.
Those awaiting nominations in UDA are Katoo ole Metito, Peris Tobiko, and Francis Meja. All three candidates are from the “Red Cows” clan.