Luhya leaders want Igathe, Wanyonyi to battle for Nairobi ticket

Some Luhya leaders in Nairobi have demanded joint nominations between Jubilee's Polycarp Igathe and ODM's Tim Wanyonyi for the Nairobi governor ticket.

This follows Igathe's late entry into the race for the fourth Nairobi governor.

Speaking to the press on Wednesday, the leaders insisted that the Mulembe nation refuses to be looked down upon and will not let themselves be used.

Westlands MP aspirant Phillip Kisia said the Luhya community has been loyal for many years and supported Raila Odinga, adding that this should earn them the respect.

“Luhyas we are number two in Nairobi and we have to be respected,” he said.

The leaders also gave five demands that the Azimio-OKA leadership must meet for the community's support, including the City governor and senator positions.

In their demands, the Luhya nation said they wanted five Cabinet secretary slots including; Roads and Transport, Health, Water, Environment and Finance.

They also demanded to have parliamentary seats in Nairobi County including; Westlands, Makadara, Embakasi West and Lang'ata.

They also demanded that the community be given a chance to have leaders in 24 wards.

Leaders present during the press briefing included ODM Secretary-general Edwin Sifuna, former Nairobi speaker Beatrice Elachi and George Aladwa, among a host of Nairobi MCAs from the community.

ODM SG Edwin Sifuna said Wanyonyi was the only governor candidate for ODM.

"Wanyonyi was the only Gubernatorial candidate for ODM. The issue is not with ODM but with our other partners within Azimio. As ODM, we still stand behind Wanyonyi and we believe he is the best candidate for the Nairobi seat," he said.

Minority Whip Peter Imwatok said Wanyonyi should be given his ticket for him to negotiate with the other parties.

This comes even as the Azimio-OKA team is expected to unveil its dream team for Nairobi on Thursday.

Speaking on Tuesday, Wanyonyi, who is also eyeing the governor seat, confirmed that negotiations are ongoing on who will be the suitable candidate.

"The coalition I belong to is in consultation and will be issuing a statement on Nairobi this Thursday. The decision of the coalition will be an addition or subtraction to my ambitions,” Wanyonyi said.

The legislator assured his supporters that he is still in the race and is hopeful he will get the ticket.

"Leadership is a calling and from the beginning, I always say 'si mimi ni sisi'. I am still on the race."

The Star has established that the Westlands MP had been summoned to State House on Tuesday morning on talks regarding the governor seat race.