Deputy President William Ruto may not after all physically campaign for MacDonald Mariga in Kibra by-election despite pulling strings in the campaigns.
Already, his team has scheduled November 3rd for a mega rally in Kibra constituency, with Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa saying the DP is expected to attend.
Official campaigns will end on Monday November 4th, three days to the poll. Mariga is competing with Imran Okoth, Ramadhan Khamisi, Eliud Owalo among others.
But Lang'ata MP Nixon Korir, who chairs Jubilee campaigns, says he's contemplating to cancel the rally, arguing that the contest could be narrowed to a Ruto-Raila affair.
“We will only advise him to come if his presence there will add value to our candidate’s popularity. If it is necessary, then we will advise him to come. We don’t want to make the campaigns be a contest between Raila and Ruto,” said Korir.
The ODM team has also scheduled the same day for a mega rally at Joseph Kang'ethe grounds where Mr Raila Odinga is expected to campaign in person.
On Sunday after Mashujaa Day, Mombasa Governor Ali Joho and his Kakamega counterpart Wycliffe Oparanya are expected to lead campaigns in Kibra according to George Aladwa.
“We have demarcated the constituency in a way that will enable us to reach every door in Kibra. This is an ODM constituency and the strategy we have deployed will enable us to recapture the seat," Aladwa said.
The seat was left vacant following the death of Ken Okoth, who was serving his second term on ODM ticket. The constituency was under Raila for many years when it was still part of Lang'ata constituency.