Former Kajiado Governor David Nkedienye has given an ultimatum to ODM leader Raila Odinga to either give him a direct ticket for the gubernatorial race or he would seek other alternatives.
Nkedienye who wants Kajiado North MP Joseph Manje to be his running mate says he will not go for any nomination with Jubilee aspirants and asserted he must be on the ballot on an ODM ticket.
Nkedienye seems to have fallen out with Raila over the former Prime Minister’s stand that ODM and Jubilee will have a joint ticket under Azimio in Kajiado County.
A fortnight ago, Raila had moved to quell the disquiet in the Azimio family in Kajiado after Nkedienye and Kajiado Central MP Memusi Kanchory demanded direct party tickets in the 2022 polls.
Raila insisted that he and Jubilee party leader President Uhuru Kenyatta had agreed to unite leaders in the two parties for joint candidates in areas where Deputy President William Ruto’s party was strong.
“I will run on ODM and Lenku ( Kajiado Governor) must run on Jubilee. We meet at the ballot. Nothing less,” said Nkedienye in Kajiado town.
Nkedienye’s hard tackle comes only days after President Kenyatta said in State House that ODM will not field gubernatorial candidates where a Governor is from Jubilee, in exchange of their votes and support for the Presidency.
ODM leaders at the County Assembly led by minority leader Daniel Naikuni and Kajiado East ODM hopeful Daniel Kanchori and his Kajiado South counterpart Sakimpa Parashina backed Raila’s stand and said any division of Azimio voted will give UDA candidates a field day.
“There are people who have been benefitting from direct tickets and fear nominations. They have been merchants of divisions. We have moved on” said Kanchori.
Talks are already underway between Dr Nkedienye and Mr Manje with TSP leader Mwangi Kiunjuri.
The talks had started earlier with the People’s Party of Kenya ( PPK) whose leader Jacob Gitau is from Kajiado West but he is in Azimio and cannot give a ticket to a rival candidate of Raila and Uhuru.