The Manje succession has gripped the highly populous Constituency regarded the “Tharaka Nithi of Kajiado County” due to it numerical strength.
Consensus talks to pick the ODM flag bearer to face the UDA candidate Onesmus Ngogoyo and a yet to be declared Jubilee Candidate seems to have hit a snag .
Local leaders are asking the party’s National Elections Board chaired by Ms. Catherine Mumma to conduct primaries and settle the stalemate.
Jubilee Party is already in a crisis following reports that it intends to issue a direct ticket to Parsimei Gitau causing jitters among supporters of deep pocketed Sankok Teeka and Roimen Leyian.
ODM has paraded five aspirants who hope to clinch the party’s ticket for the face-off with, among others, Onesmus Ngogoyo of UDA, PPK’s Paul Kibathi, an entrepreneur in the entertainment industry, and a Mr Mbote.
But it’s in ODM where the battle seems fierce with Dr Solomon Kinyanjui, emerging a key contender for the Kajiado North ODM ticket.
A veteran politician, Dr Kinyanjui first vied for the larger Kajiado North seat after the death of Prof George Saitoti in 2012.
He vied against Moses Ole Sakuda of the then young TNA party and ODM’s Peter Mositet, who would later become Kajiado Senator.
Dr Kinyanjui is battling for the ticket with George Yogo, Samson Moindi, Leposo Musengi, a younger brother to the late Prof Saitoti, and Lawrence Mbelati.
However, it is UDA’s choice of Ngogoyo, a Kikuyu, that has jolted the ODM camp, and pushed up Dr Kinyanjui’s stake as the likely ODM candidate as having a non-Kikuyu would give Ngogoyo or Gitau, an easy ride to Parliament.
Although Musengi is a Kikuyu, like his brother Saitoti, he is torn between being identified as a Kikuyu or a Maasai.
Since he vied in 2012, Dr Kinyanjui, a heavy investor in the events industry, has vied for the seat and is believed to know the political terrain of Kajiado North.
Dr Kinyanjui is a close confidant of ODM leader Raila Odinga’s wife, IDA, and is a regular visitor to the ODM Leader’s Karen Home where he briefs her on ODM activities and opportunities in Kajiado County.
Kinyanjui’s star seems to rise as he is known to run well- oiled campaigns with his heavy sound systems and events organization skills comes in handy to outshine g his opponents some of whom are unable to print campaign merchandise.
By mid this week, the ODM candidate will be known but what is clear is that Dr Kinyanjui is a top contender for the ODM ticket in Kajiado North.