Igathe asks Azimio poll losers to stick with coalition

Aspirants who lost in the nominations of parties under the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition have been urged to drop plans to run independently and campaign for the coalition.

Azimio's Nairobi gubernatorial candidate Poylcarp Igathe said that the coalition will need the support of all aspirants to ensure that they win the August polls.

"I want to appeal to all aspirants who lost in the primaries not to run. This is the time to prove your support for the team that you wanted to be part of," he stated. 

Igathe spoke at City Hall on Wednesday when he paid a courtesy call to Governor Ann Kananu.

He was accompanied  by MCAs led by Majority whip Paul Kados and Minority whip Peter Imwatok.

The former Equity Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) was last week announced by Azimio's flag bearer  Raila Odinga as the formation's gubernatorial candidate for Nairobi.

Igathe will run for the seat jointly with former Kibwezi MP Philip Kaloki as his running mate.

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna will be the Nairobi Senatorial candidate while Esther Passaris will defend her seat as Woman Representative under the umbrella.

Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi who had expressed interest in the governor post agreed to drop his bid and defend his legislative seat.

The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) president  Richard Ngatia also dropped his bid and was appointed to the president's envoy.

However, businesswoman Agnes Kagure who was also in the gubernatorial race declared that she would vie for the Nairobi governor's seat as an independent candidate.

Kagure said she had no plans of abandoning her ambition.

At the same time, Nairobi Governor Ann Kananu agreed to drop her bid and support Igathe as her successor.

While throwing her support behind Igathe, Kananu pledged to join his campaign team as he embarks on grassroots campaign across the 17 subcounties.

"I want to assure Igathe that we will campaign together and shall not sleep until you get to be sworn in as the governor," Kananu assured Igathe.

The incumbent city administrator stated that she accepted President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's decision of settling on Igathe as the flag bearer for the city's top job.

"I respect my party leaders for the decision they made and I agree to step aside and support Polycarp Igathe in his bid to become the fourth governor of Nairobi," Kananu said.

She assured Igathe of a smooth transition if he wins the gubernatorial race.

Kananu asked Igathe to farther the projects and developments initiated by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services, NMS.

Igathe, who was returning to City Hall after almost four years, applauded  Kananu for demonstrating mature politics by agreeing to  support his bid.

"What Kananu has demonstrated here today is that politics is not war. It is important that Nairobi people see the continuity without necessarily having in-fights and power battles and that is the spirit all aspirants need to have to ensure that Azimio will take over Nairobi," he  noted.