•In a public rally meant to unveil candidates seeking the party's ticket to run for Kibra MP during the by-election, Darlin pleaded with Odinga to hold his hand through the process.
•Raila unveiled 24 aspirants seeking the party’s ticket in the by-election.
Image: COURTESY
Popular Reggae DJ and renowned MC Chrispinus Odhiambo poularly known as Kriss Darlin on Sunday sent tongues wagging after he knelt before ODM party leader Raila Odinga in a public rally at Kamukunji grounds, Kibra.
In a public rally meant to unveil candidates seeking the party's ticket to run for the Kibra by-election, Darlin pleaded with Odinga to hold his hand through the process.
“I have heard that there are many young men in Parliament fighting Baba (Raila), allow me as their fellow youth to go fight them in there as you wait to fight in 2022,” he said while kneeling before Raila.
He said he was ready to take a bullet for the ODM leader if that would let him lead the country in 2022.
“Let them shoot me, if it means that you remain and lead in 2022… I ask that you hold my hand Baba…” he went on in front of a charged crowd.
In a phone call interview with the Star on Monday, the DJ said he was not pulling a publicity stunt by kneeling before the ODM party chief.
"Raila, having been the area as MP for over two decades and because Kibra is one of the ODM’s zones in the city, he will have the final say on who succeeds Okoth,"he said.
He, however, said the power of who will be elected as Kibra MP lies from the people of Kibra, not Raila solely.
"The people of Kibra have the final say. If elected I will represent the party, not just Raila," he added.
Darlin said he believes he is the best candidate for Kibra as he was born and raised in Kibra and he resonates well with the challenges faced in the slum.
He said all his charitable projects are based in Kibra.
"I donate Sanitary towels to girls schools in Kibra constituency, I donate boxers to male children. I have a football tournament called Kriss darling Supercup that has been running for four years," he said.
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Darlin on August 21 presented his official documents to the ODM headquarters.
ODM party leader Raila Odinga however on Sunday ruled out direct nomination for its candidate for the November 7 Kibra Constituency by-election.
Raila said that ODM will hold its primaries on August 31.
The seat fell vacant after the death of MP Ken Okoth on July 26, 2019.
Raila unveiled 24 aspirants seeking the party’s ticket in the by-election.
He said the orange party will conduct its nomination exercise on August 31, before submitting its nominee to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) by September 3, 2019.
He said that not all the aspirants will participate in the primaries as they will be subjected to a thorough vetting process that will see non-loyalists weeded out.
Other aspirants unveiled at the event were Joshua Orero, Sigar Agumba, Moraa, Eng Ochieng Jera, DJ Chris Darlin, Obarics Ochieng, Kenyanito Dudi, Melvin, ODM youth leader Benson Musungu, Steve Oguwa and Brian Owino.
Also interested in the ODM ticket are Gore Mohammed, Toi Ogola, John Otieno Mila, Lumumba Owade, Robinson Odhiambo, Ojijo Obama and Ngesa Mbarare.