Jubilee Nominated MP, Maina Kamanda, rushed to Capitol Hill, Nairobi on Thursday, September 19, where he held a presser to declare his support for Orange Democratic Movement's (ODM) Kibra Nominee Imran Okoth.
"I'm here as a person, I'm not representing anyone. As a person, I will be with the nominee that has been nominated by ODM party. I call him the handshake candidate," Kamanda declared on live TV.
He went on to reveal that Imran had staunch support from other leaders outside Jubilee.
"First his brother (the late Ken Okoth) was my very good friend. You will see myself and other leaders from other parties joining to support Imran after his endorsement," Kamanda asserted.
Kamanda's move comes a day after his party leader, President Uhuru Kenyatta endorsed McDonald Mariga for the Kibra seat on a Jubilee ticket.
In a statement sent to newsrooms, the president wished the former soccer star, who was accompanied by the Party’s secretary-general, Raphael Tuju, success in the by-elections scheduled for November 7.
It was intimated that the president had not endorsed Mariga because he preferred to let Raila Odinga-led ODM field a candidate without competition from Jubilee.
Kamanda spoke after Raila invited him to address the media at the party's headquarters.
Speaking from his Capitol Hill office in Nairobi, the former Prime Minister maintained that his party had fronted Imran Okoth as their party representative for Kibra, adding that he advocated for peaceful campaigns in the spirit of mature democracy.
"We would like to see that the campaigns in Kibra Constituency is done in a very peaceful and friendly atmosphere," Odinga advised.
Watch the video, courtesy of Citizen TV.
