Ruto steers talks with aspirants to avert primaries pressure

Two parliamentary hopefuls on the UDA party ticket have dropped their bids after an apparent negotiated deal steered by Deputy President William Ruto.

Mary Nyasimi dropped her ambition for the North Mugirango parliamentary seat and agreed to support Joash Nyamoko, the sitting MP.

This followed the meeting at Ruto's Karen residence on Wednesday.

"Leadership often calls for personal sacrifice and working for the best interests of the people," the DP said.

The DP also said via Twitter that Hellen Makone agreed to abandon her Nyamira Senatorial bid to back Mose Nyambega.

This is the second time for Makone to drop her political ambition in favour of another candidate.

In the build-up to the 2017 elections, Makone was persuaded to drop her bid in favour of Joseph Kiangoi against whom she would have contested in the Jubilee Party primaries.

She was the only woman who had expressed interest in the Nyamira senatorial seat in that election.

Nyambega, a lawyer, will be making his third stab at the senatorial seat.

Parties have adopted the consensus route where two popular aspirants are garnering for the same seat to ease pressure during upcoming nominations.