Independent aspirant for the March 4 Matungu parliamentary by-election Athman Wangara has said former MP Justus Murunga had anointed him for the position.
Wangara served as the Matungu National Government-Constituency Development Fund chairman. Murunga was the patron.
On Saturday, Wangara said Murunga summoned him a day before he died and instructed him to pick a notebook and record an NG-CDF work plan for 2021-22.
"All that he told me was about the projects he wanted to be implemented and when he wanted them to be concluded including those that were partly funded and those to be started,” Wangara said.
He added, "Two weeks after his death, my fellow NG-CDF members told me that Mheshimiwa had announced me to succeed him and I accepted the call.”
Wangara was speaking at his Harambee village home in Kholera ward where he launched his campaigns.
He warned his competitors to prepare for a tough battle as "it will not be a walk in the park."
Murunga died in November and was buried on December 5, 2020.
The ANC party on whose ticket Murunga won the seat in 2017 has unveiled Peter Nabulindo as its candidate to retain the seat.
Former MP David Were will also be contesting the seat on an ODM party ticket.
Paul Atwa, Ben Wakoli, Charles Kasamani, Alex Lanya, Arnold Maliba, Anzelimo Kongoti and Odanga Pessa are also in the race for the seat as independents.
Paul Achayo will run on the MDG party ticket while Raphael Welimo is eyeing the Jubilee Party ticket.
Murunga's widow Christabel Amunga (independent) is also eyeing the seat.
Political scientist Prof Amukowa Anangwe says the by-election will not be about parties or candidates but a battle of political bigwigs, including Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Raila Odinga (ODM) and Deputy President William Ruto.
He says the three will be flexing their muscles to know where they stand in the Luhya community ahead of 2022.
Wangara said voters must reject new people seeking to inherit Murunga's seat and instead elect someone who will complete the projects the former MP had initiated.
"This only needs someone who knows the state of the planned projects and the MP's networks to complete them and that's me," he said.
He said he wanted to run on the ANC ticket but was disappointed with the manner in which the party picked its candidate in a hotel meeting in the middle of the night.
"ANC should have given the people of Matungu a chance to pick one of those who had shown interest in succeeding the MP in a fair nomination process. It has, however, happened and that is how some of us ended up as independent candidates and we promise them a run for their money," Wangara said.
Edited by P.O
