Murang'a Senator Irungu Kang'ata has been the latest member of the ruling Jubilee Party to back an ODM aspirant for the Kibra parliamentary race.
ODM has since approved Imran Okoth to run for the seat, at a time when the Jubilee Party is yet to have its candidate and soccer star McDonald Mariga approved for the same contest.
Speaking on Monday, Kang'ata declared support for Imran, basing it on his friendship with the immediate former holder of the seat Ken Okoth, who succumbed to cancer in July.
Speaking on Citizen TV's DayBreak show, the lawmaker declared that he would want to see Imran thrive in the race which has also attracted a good number of candidates from other parties.
“For me, my sympathies are with Imran in the Kibra by-election. Ken Okoth was my personal friend. I would wish to see his brother thrive...I treasure friendships and loyalties," he said.
About Mariga who has been locked out for allegedly missing in the voter registry, Kang'ata who doubles up as a lawyer said that the fact that he has a voter's card is proof that he is eligible to vie.
He argued that Mariga will most likely be given a go-ahead by IEBC.
"As for me, when you look at the constitution, it appears that he has a fairly strong case because the constitution speaks of being a registered voter. Once you receive a document that acknowledges that you have been registered, that for me is sufficient for you to be deemed as a voter," he said.
So far, Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria and his nominated counterpart Maina Kamanda have been seen throwing their weight behind Imran.