The upcoming Kibra parliamentary by-election threatens the unity deal between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo has said.
Kabogo said there was possibility the handshake will be rocked after both Jubilee and ODM parties fielded candidates in the November 7 mini-poll.
Raila and Uhuru have already endorsed their party candidates Imran Okoth, and McDonald Mariga respectively.
Speaking during the PointBlank Show on Wednesday night, Kabogo said for the handshake to remain intact, the two political bigwigs should avoid the Kibra campaigns.
"If Raila and Uhuru go to Kibra to campaign it would jeopardise the handshake. When I saw Uhuru endorse footballer McDonald Mariga for the race, I thought the handshake was dead. The two need to keep off Kibra because if they go they will end up exchanging (words)," said the flamboyant politician.
However, Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju and his ODM counterpart Edwin Sifuna have maintained the handshake and the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) are intact and won't be disturbed by 'small' Kibra contest.
"It is clear that the BBI and ‘handshake’ is not about 2022 but about a much bigger agenda than just one constituency," Tuju said as quoted by the Nation.
On his part, Sifuna said those linking the Kibra polls to Raila-Uhuru unity pact were desperate.
"The handshake and its agenda was reduced to a nine-point written memorandum. In Kibra the agenda is simple. To find a person who can represent the people of Kibra in Parliament and continue the good work the late Ken Okoth had started. Those who want to make it about handshake, BBI, tribes or 2022 are desperate," Sifuna told the Nation.