ODM has handed out direct tickets to aspirants in Nyamira county and is expected to do the same in Kisii on Monday.
Party national treasurer Timothy Bosire will be the governor flagbearer while Okong’o Omogeni will defend his senator seat.
Emily Matoke, daughter of former Governor John Nyagarama, will be the woman representative candidate.
Parliamentary aspirants Clive Ombane Gisairo (Kitutu Masaba), Kennedy Mosongo (North Mugirango), and Rodgers Moturi (West Mugirango) have also been given direct tickets.
Bosire, former Kitutu Masaba MP, said: “We have very formidable aspirants in the county and we are confident of winning most seats on offer.”
Bosire will face off with incumbent Amos Nyaribo (UPA), Ben Momanyi (Wiper), Walter Nyambati (UDA), Joseph Kiangoi (ANC), Reuben Marwanga (Kanu) and Mwancha Okioma (Jubilee).
In Borabu constituency, Nairobi businessman Patrick Osero will fly the ODM flag after beating lawyer Nyandoro Kambi in the party primaries last Thursday.
Osero, who is contesting the seat for the third time, garnered 5,105 votes against Kambi’s 2,208 votes to bag the ODM ticket.
Borabu is the only constituency where the party held primaries in Nyamira after Osero and Kambi failed to reach a consensus.
Osero, a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto, recently ditched Jubilee Party to return to ODM.
In neighbouring Kisii county, the party has already given direct tickets to governor hopeful Simba Arati (Dagoretti North MP), senator aspirant Richard Onyonka and Janet Ong’era who will defend her woman representative post.
South Mugirango’s Dennis Makori, aka Sonko, also got a ticket since he did not have an opponent.
The party’s National Elections Board last Wednesday night cancelled parliamentary nominations and called aspirants to Nairobi for consensus building.
During the meeting, the NEB provided results of scientific polls, but these were rejected by aspirants.
The NEB promised to give the aspirants the way forward on Monday.
According to the opinion polls, the leading aspirants are Jonah Ondieki (Bonchari), Daniel Manduku (Nyaribari Masaba), Yobesh Oyaro (Bobasi), Simon Ogari (Bomachoge Chache), Geoffrey Asanyo (Kitutu Chache North), Anthony Kibagendi (Kitutu Chache South) and Obadiah Barongo (Bomachoge Borabu).
The aspirants failed to reach a consensus, according to sources.
Kibagendi, who ditched UDA for ODM, said: “We are getting the much-coveted Kitutu Chache South ODM nomination on Monday. To my anxious supporters, friends and family, I can firmly declare to you that mbele iko sawa.”
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya
