City Hall's nominated MCA Anne Thumbi, the lady who caused a stir during Ken Okoth's burial, will not after all back Imran Okoth, who is flying ODM ticket in Kibra by-election.
Last week, DNA test confirmed that Ms Thumbi's son, was indeed sired by the late Kibra MP Ken Okoth. The results will be used in property distribution.
Her claim had been backed by embattled Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, who claimed that it's the late Okoth who pushed him to front Thumbi's name for nomination as Jubilee MCA.
On Tuesday, Thumbi was part of McDonald Mariga's short-lived celebrations as he was handed over a Jubilee ticket by party officials.
Seated next to Mr Mariga, Ms Anne Thumbi, the nominated ward rep who was recently in the news over her relationship with the late Kibra MP Ken Okoth. As the drama unfolded, she could only giggle gingerly as the cameras rolled.
Returning officer Jane Muli said: “We have invalidated Mariga’s nomination to vie in the Kibera by-election because his name is not on the voter’s register.”
Her supposed brother-in-law, Imran Okoth, was evidently not on her side when Ken Okoth died. He would be seen backing Okoth's legal wife, Monica Okoth.
Mr Imran was on Tuesday cleared by the party and subsequently by IEBC. He's regarded as a favorite to inherit the Kibra seat given the dominance of ODM party.
The party tweeted; “It is official, Bernard Otieno Okoth (Imran) is the party’s candidate in the November 7th by-election in Kibra Constituency. He was today presented with the certificate by the NEB.”
But Anne Thumbi decision to back a Jubilee candidate, even though Mariga has been disqualified, may have little effect since she's a voter in Nyeri County.
At least four candidates among them Imran Okoth, Eliud Owalo of ANC and Engineer Ramadhan Khamisi of Ford Kenya have been cleared to run in November by-election.