Wiper settles on Ndeti in Machakos as row with ODM rocks Nairobi plan

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyokaon Friday brokered a deal between Mavoko MP Patrick Makau and former Transport Chief Administrative Secretary Wavinya Ndeti that saw the former drop out of the Machakos gubernatorial race.

The second term MP also vowed to back Ms Ndeti’s bid. The development sets the stage for a bruising battle between Ms Ndeti and former State House Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita, who is gunning for the seat on a Chama Cha Uzalendo ticket. He is also the party’s leader.

“Let our competitors know that we are united and that we are ready to clinch the Machakos County governor seat,” Mr Makau said at Wiper headquarters in Nairobi. He urged his supporters to rally behind Ms Ndeti, while warning Mr Waita and Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Maliti that “we are coming for you”.

The Nation understands that Mr Musyoka has offered Mr Makau a direct ticket to defend his parliamentary seat as a deal sweetener.

In the Nairobi gubernatorial contest, trust issues between Mr Musyoka and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga, as well as unresolved issues regarding their Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition party, have complicated plans to field candidates for a joint ticket.

ODM, Jubilee and Wiper, the biggest parties in the coalition, are eyeing the highest office in the capital city at the risk of playing into the hands of rival Kenya Kwanza Alliance, which has already settled on Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja as its gubernatorial candidate.

The latest entrant in the Nairobi governorship race is Wiper. On Friday, Mr Musyoka unveiled former Kenya Medical Training College board chairman Phillip Kaloki as its Nairobi governor candidate. He added that Wiper was also considering settling for the deputy governor position under a Jubilee gubernatorial candidate.

“However, we want to defer to our brothers in Jubilee,” he said at Wiper headquarters in Nairobi during a ceremony graced by his supporters and businessman Richard Ngatia, who is eyeing the Jubilee ticket for the Nairobi governorship race.

The Wiper leader issued a stern warning to Jubilee against short-changing Prof Kaloki in its lineup for the Nairobi governorship contest, threatening unspecified action “if you come up with a [team] that does not include Prof Kaloki as the running mate”.