Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) National Chair John Mbadi has poked holes into McDonald Mariga's candidature for the looming Kibra parliamentary by-election.
ODM has since approved Imran Okoth as its candidate, with among those expected to give him a hard time being Mariga of the rival side, the ruling Jubilee Party.
But speaking at the AIC Grounds in Kibra on Tuesday, the Suba South MP claimed that Mariga lacks the backing of the party, and is merely a project of the Tangatanga faction.
He termed this the reason why President Uhuru Kenyatta, the party leader, is yet to show any interest in him, claiming that Jubilee has not presented a candidate in the race.
"Jubilee has no candidate in Kibra. What you are witnessing is the fake Jubilee-Tangatanga’s candidate. Have you seen Uhuru present a candidate to you?” he posed.
On his side, ODM Director of Elections Junet Mohammed said that Mariga lacks what it takes to win the seat, terming him an outsider who stands no chance in the constituency.
“I am from Suna East. l am a visitor in Kibra just like Mariga. However, we have come to meet and talk to our party members. And we believe in the affairs of our party," he said.
Both leaders and the entire ODM brigade that attended the function drummed up support for Imran, brother to former MP the late Ken Okoth, who succumbed to cancer in July.