Candidates taking part in the mini polls slated for Thursday in different parts of the country are putting their best foot forward as the race enters homestretch.
The battle for the Parliamentary seats of Matungu and Kabuchai, and ward representation in London and Hell’s Gate, Nakuru County, has seen the major parties camping at the grassroots to drum up support for their candidates ahead of the mini-polls set for March 4.
The campaign rallies have however been turned into platforms for debating the Building Bridges Initiative politics and advancing supremacy wars between party leaders rather than addressing the issues that affect the residents.
In Matungu Constituency, the 15 candidates have intensified the hunt for votes in rural villages, five days to the D-day.
The Amani National Congress (ANC), Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and United Democratic Alliance (UDA) have the major contenders tussling for the parliamentary seat which fell vacant following the death of MP Justus Murunga in November last year.
The ANC candidate Peter Nabulindo, ODM’s David Were and UDA’s Alex Lanya have switched to the door to door campaigns in place of the rallies in market centres in a last ditch attempt to win the support of the 62,386 registered voters in Matungu.
Yesterday, alllies of Deputy President William Ruto led by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, Mwambu Mabonga (Bumula), John Waluke (Sirisia), Didmus Barasa (Kimilili), Fred Kapondi (Mt Elgon)and Malulu Injendi (Malava) joined former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali and former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa to drum up support for Mr Lanya.
Speaking at Ebubambula village, Mr Sudi said they were using the Matungu and Kabuchai by-elections to measure the strength of their newly formed UDA party.
'We are here not only to drum up support for Mr Lanya but to popularise UDA party that will be used by our presidential candidate William Ruto in 2022,' said Mr Sudi.
Mr Washiali said more MPs who are allies of the DP will join the campaigns at the weekend to ensure the party’s candidate captures the seat.
“In the final days, we are expecting Mohammed Ali from Nyali and Aisha Jumwa (Malindi) and we shall have two or more MPs coming to Matungu to campaign in each of the five wards while others will be moving with Mr Lanya as he traverses the villages reaching out to the electorates to ask for votes,” said Mr Washiali.
The UDA team held public rallies in Sayangwe village in Koyonzo ward, Ebubambula in Mayoni ward and Makunda in Kholera, with the MPs pleading with the voters to back Mr Lanya and elect him as their next MP.
Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala and Lurambi MP Titus Khamala are spearheading campaigns for Mr Nabulindo.
ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi, Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper) Gideon Moi (Kanu) and Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya) were in Matungu on Thursday last week to campaign for Mr Nabulindo.
The ANC team was in Shibanze village (Kholera ward), Itete in Koyonzo and Ngairwe.
The ODM candidate has, on the other hand, abandoned campaign rallies for meetings with groups of villagers in the five wards in the hope of swaying support from the voters his way.
The ODM team, led by Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, his deputy Philip Kutima, County Woman Representative Elsie Muhanda and party Secretary General Edwin Sifuna have camped at Garden park Hotel in Mumias town where they have been holding meetings to lay strategy for the party’ candidate.
Mr Oparanya and Sifuna met officials of the National Government Administration (NGAO) including village elders, assistant chiefs and the chiefs from Matungu to map out the final leg of the campaigns.
The ODM team has met primary and secondary school teachers, Community Health Volunteers (CHVs), ECD teachers, clan elders, and county employees from Matungu and appealed to them to them to support Mr Were and ensure he clinches victory in the by-election.
Competitors of Mr Were have accused the Governor Oparanya of diverting county resources to campaign for the ODM candidate.
Former Ford-Kenya youth leader Mr Bernard Wakoli, an independent candidate has been campaigning aggressively in bid to emerge victorious.
Nakuru's London Ward by-election, political parties and their candidates are out holding up to several meetings in a day as they scale up their campaigns and make final efforts to woo voters.
In Kabuchai, incidents of violence were reported on Saturday morning. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced aspirants for the seat to devise ways of mobilising the electorate.
In the by-election, President Uhuru Kenyatta 2022 succession politics have taken centre stage, as fringe parties threaten to upset the ruling Jubilee Party.
Already, a major political battle is shaping up, with newly formed political outfits, plotting to beat the Jubilee Party.
The London Ward seat fell vacant following the death of Samuel Mbugua in November, 2020.
Deputy President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) is among parties that have gone for Jubilee Party's jugular in their pursuit of supremacy in the Rift Valley, a year to the 2022 General Election. Leaving nothing to chance and determined to beat the Jubilee candidate, the UDA brigade led by Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika and Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri have camped in Nakuru since last week, campaigning for their candidate Anthony Nzuki. The leaders,who spoke at an event in Milimani Estate in London Ward, implored residents, to stick with DP Ruto ahead of the 2022 polls, saying the outcome of the London and Hell's Gate ward by-elections would greatly give the direction to the newly-formed UDA party.
"I urge London residents to stand firmly behind the UDA candidate for the London ward Antony Nzuki Wachira.His win will be Deputy President Dr William Ruto's win and it will be wind beneath DP Ruto’s wings,"stated Senator Kihika.
Mr Ngunjiri asked London residents to overwhelmingly vote for the London Ward candidate to embarrass Jubilee Party.
"I call upon all our supporters in Naivasha and Nakuru West constituencies to join efforts and ensure our candidates win in the upcoming by-elections. I am sure we will beat Jubilee hands down,” said Mr Ngunjiri.
The leaders attempted to hold a rally in the area last week but police dispersed their meeting at Milimani because they had not obtained a licence. However, they later managed to meet their supporters.
Political pundits say DP Ruto allies want to win the London and Hell's Gate seats as a test to the reception of his ‘Hustler’ politics in the Rift Valley region and a spring board to the 2022 elections in which he (Ruto) has expressed interest to vie for the top seat.
Jubilee Party which has Nakuru in its grip since 2013, is now facing spirited opposition from the splinter outfit UDA. Analysts say the contest will also act as a litmus test for the ruling party, which has so far lost one seat in Nakuru in a recent by-election.
"The by-elections will be a test for the popularity of the President Kenyatta and ODM leader Mr Odinga in the region,"said political analyst Jesse Karanja.
Jubilee lost the Lakeview Ward seat to Simon Wanango of the New Democratic Party after it hand-picked George Njoroge Mathu last December.
Mr Wanango was supported by the Tanga Tanga wing of the Jubilee Party led by Senator Kihika,MP Ngunjiri (Bahati) and Naivasha’s Jayne Kihara.
Jubilee Party Secretary General Nakuru branch Peter Cheruiyot is also confident that the Jubilee Party candidates will carry the day. In London ward, Kanu has fielded Joseph Njuguna populary known as Kimani wa Kimani.
By Benson Amadala, Shaban Makokha, Eric Matara and Macharia Mwangi
