Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi has claimed that Deputy President William Ruto is the force behind McDonald Mariga's candidature in the Kibra race.
This is despite Mariga being packaged as a candidate of the ruling Jubilee Party, after being cleared by the party to run for the seat.
Speaking on Monday, Mudavadi said that it is now becoming the DP's habit to force sportsmen on Kenyans, after initially unsuccessfully imposing a boxer on them.
He was referring to former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa who was sacked through a presidential order, barely a year after being nominated to office.
He added that after the failure, the DP has once again emerged with a footballer, whom he predicted will lose in the November 7 race.
"Ruto brought a boxer to the Cabinet and has bow brought a footballer. He thinks he can only endorse sportsmen (Ruto alileta boxer kwa cabinet, sasa ameleta footballer, yeye anaona anaweza leta wachezaji tu)," he said.
He made the remarks on Radio Maisha's Bunge La Maisha show on Monday morning.
According to Mudavadi, Echesa and Mariga are no different in terms of inability to deliver, adding that the DP is trying to once again ashame the Luhya community.
He said that by electing Mariga, Kibra residents will have messed up as he doesn't have what it takes to deliver in that capacity.
"The boxer was a shame to the people of Western. He now wants to bring another one through Mariga (Boxer alileta aibu kwa watu wa Western, sasa anataka kuleta ingine kupitia kwa Mariga)," he added.
Mudavadi argued that ANC Party candidate Eliud Owalo is the right man for the job.