The handshake team is planning a clean sweep of Nairobi county's top jobs, including its 17 parliamentary seats. Sources whisper to Corridors that Jubilee and ODM (leaders pictured) plan to zone the county and field only one candidate against their rivals, seen mainly to be DP William Ruto's UDA party. The joint plans have slowed down aspirants from announcing their bids for the county top jobs, especially governor and senator. Some of the jobs, sources said, will be part of negotiations in building a 'winning' coalition. Those in the know say where Jubilee is seen to be dominant, Orange House will throw their weight behind the ruling party, and vice versa. Those versed with the city's ethnic arithmetic say Nairobi is the handshake team's to lose.
***
A presidential aspirant's bitterness toward one of his competitors became apparent recently through social media. How? Well, after attending a similar political event, the man posted pictures of the day, capturing everybody but his competitor. Despite availability of several pictures of the two together, the man neither posted any pictures of his former ally-turned-foe nor acknowledged his presence. Hawk-eyed social media users, however, read him the riot act. The two have been involved in a cold war recently. Only time will tell how this relationship will evolve or crash.
***
A vocal MP from Mt Kenya East has suddenly slowed down his association with DP Ruto's Tangatanga movement. He has been missing from a couple of rallies attended by Ruto in the county. While the surprise move has been well received by the Kieleweke wing, critics say the MP could be gambling with his political career. Recently, he had signalled that he could throw his hat into the ring for the governor's seat. However, perceptions his rival, also a lawmaker, is in much better standing to secure the UDA ticket could have forced him to rethink his strategy. There are rumours that he could move to the handshake wing that supports President Uhuru Kenyatta (pictured) as he seeks to become governor.
***
A political bigwig has been left in limbo after aspirants rejected his request to back down and support his preferred candidate in the race for governor in a Coastal county. The politician had asked several aspirants not to challenge his man for the party ticket but his pleas appear to have fallen on deaf ears. He now faces a massive falling out should he hand a direct ticket to his preferred candidate. The politician, who is eying the presidency next year, is said to have asked aspirants to go for the Senate and National Assembly seats, believing that his man will be a formidable contender for the top county job.
(Edited by V. Graham)
