- According to the Azimio zoning plan, Wiper was only left with Embakasi South out of the 17 constituencies.
- The Azimio top leadership said the zoning was a master plan to ensure that they lock Nairobi out of the reach of their Kenya Kwanza rivals.
Image: WILFRED NYANGARESI
Wiper boss Kalonzo Musyoka has triggered a storm in Azimio after claiming he was kept in the dark about a decision of the coalition to zone Nairobi county MP slots.
The former vice president on Friday said there was never a discussion on how the affiliate Azimio parties were to field aspirants in cosmopolitan regions, especially Nairobi and Mombasa counties.
Kalonzo was responding to claims that his Wiper party had breached a gentleman’s agreement by sponsoring aspirants in areas earmarked for other Azimio political parties.
Wiper is also accused of clearing former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko to contest against ODM’s Abdulswmad Nassir for Mombasa governor seat.
According to the Azimio zoning plan, Wiper was only left with Embakasi South out of the 17 constituencies.
Both Jubilee and ODM shared eight constituencies each.
The Azimio top leadership said the zoning was a master plan to ensure that they lock Nairobi out of the reach of their Kenya Kwanza rivals.
But yesterday the Wiper boss said there was no discussion on the matter.
He, instead, asked Azimio National Executive Management Committee chairman Wycliffe Oparanya to convene an urgent meeting to discuss zoning within the coalition party.
“Nobody has discussed zoning. I heard there has been zoning in Nairobi, [but] as party leader, I was never consulted,” Kalonzo said.
The now disputed zoning plan gave Mathare, Embakasi East, Ruaraka, Makadara,Westlands, Langata, Kibra and Dagoretti North constituencies to ODM.
Jubilee received Roysambu, Kasarani, Kamukunji, Dagoretti South, Embakasi North and Embakasi West constituencies.
The ruling party also bagged Embakasi Central and Starehe.
Wiper last week defied the zoning agreement and issued nomination certificates to seven MP aspirants and 35 ward representative aspirants.
The party issued certificates in Mathare (Ben Milai), Makadara (Fred Akech), Kasarani (Tabitha Mutero), Embakasi East (Joash Omwenga), Kamkunji (Mohamed Nur), Dogoretti North (Baba Ndege) and Embakasi South (Julius Mawathe) constituencies.
Addressing a press conference on his way to Mombasa where he is expected to unveil Sonko at Tononoka grounds on Saturday, Kalonzo said aspirants should be allowed one month of campaigns after which weak aspirants are told to step down.
He rejected the current arrangement where affiliate parties are discouraged from fielding aspirants in areas earmarked for partner parties.
“Even in Eastern there are many small parties and we cannot say they should not sponsor candidates in the region,” he said.
Sonko said the Wiper boss is the most suited to deputise Raila, appealing to the ODM leader to bypass the selection panel and declare Kalonzo his running mate.
He further said a Raila-Kalonzo ticket is the only route to beat Deputy President William Ruto in the State House race.
He accused a cabal operating around Raila for misleading him on the issue of running mate.
“Raila you are the next President and there is no doubt about it. The only problem is your boardroom advisers. Declare Kalonzo your running mate and you will win presidency in round one,” Sonko said.
He described his candidature as the hope to Mombasa, urging his rivals to prepare for a friendly fire.
(edited by Amol Awuor)