Mathare seat aspirants step up campaign

Mathare, Kenya: With only 14 days to the Mathare by-election, candidates have stepped up campaigns in a bid to clinch the seat.

ODM candidate Steve Kariuki has been holding several meetings with members of the communities living in the vast informal settlement of Mathare Constituency. The Standard has learnt that the party has changed its strategy in wooing voters and is now holding consultative meetings with religious leaders and the communities living there.

The ODM Mathare by-election secretariat has already  met the Luhya, Muslim, Kamba and Kisii communities and have been holding closed door meetings at the Evans Kidero Centre in Kileleshwa to drum up support for Kariuki.

Yesterday, members from the Kamba community met with the candidate and other legislators allied to the party ahead of next week's campaign rally. Kariuki, popularly known as K1, is optimistic that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is well prepared for the mini poll.

"IEBC has largely remained the same but when CORD insisted that the returning officers must be changed, IEBC obliged and promised to furnish us with the list of Presiding and Deputy presiding officers in the Constituency," said Kariuki.

TNA's George Wanjohi has also embarked on a campaign in a bid to recapture his seat that fell vacant after a court nullified his win. Wanjohi is said to be in touch with the electorate at the grass root level wooing voters to his side.

However, The Standard has learnt that Wanjohi's big headache is a mission to infiltrate areas perceived to be CORD's stronghold that includes Huruma, Mabatini, Mlango Kubwa and Hospital wards.

IEBC cleared Kariuki, Wanjohi, Sammy Mudanya of the Progressive Party of Kenya, Billan Okoth of National Labour Party, Maendeleo Democratic candidate Fwamba NC Fwamba and three independent candidates, Barrack Obadi, Mariam Macharia, and Nixon Kanai.

Former Youth Fund chairman Gor Semelango, and Henry Shitanda were locked out of the nomination. Semalango has since appealed the decision before the IEBC dispute tribunal and his case will be heard on Monday.

IEBC will conduct two parliamentary by-elections in Mathare and Gatundu South on August 7.

According to the IEBC register, Mathare Constituency has 88,000 registered voters and 115 polling stations. Area Returning Officer Joseph Masindet said 696 presiding officers and their deputies will start undergoing training today ahead of the by-election slated for August 7.

"We are fully prepared for the by-election and so far, no reports of any sort have been made. We will start training of trainers tomorrow (today) so that all the candidates have confidence in the process because we want to conduct a free, fair and credible election," said Masindet, adding that IEBC will be transparent.