Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has said the Kibra by-election is important to Deputy President William Ruto, and his team as they are using it to weigh their chances in 2022
Speaking to the Standard, Barasa said the Kibra race is being used to weigh if the DP's forays into Western region are bearing fruit, since most Kibra residents are Luhya.
He said in the event that Jubilee Kibra candidate McDonal Mariga wins, then it will be proof that Ruto might win the presidency in 2022, but if ODM'S Imran Okoth wins, then it will mean the region still remains in support of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
"If they back our candidate, it would mean their voting patterns have changed across the country. It would mean they will vote Ruto in 2022. We are campaigning, strategising and will do everything to win the seat," he told the Standard.
According to Barasa, the Ruto team is using Luhyas in Kibra as a sample of what to expect from the rest, claiming that their thinking is similar.
"Majority of Kibra voters are Luhyas and have traditionally supported Raila. The thinking of a Luhya in Kibra is not different from that of those in rural areas,” he added.
The youthful lawmaker said in the event that ODM wins, then the entire strategy team of the DP will be heading back to to the drawing board to rethink its strategy.