Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi has maintained that he will not step aside for any aspirant eying the Nairobi governor seat under the Azimio La Umoja Movement.
Wanyonyi said a clique of people “cannot sit in a room and decide that there are those who should shelve their ambitions.”
“I am asking those who are thinking that I could step aside for them, what is it that they have that I cannot offer the people of Nairobi,” posed the ODM lawmaker.
On January 11, Wanyonyi asked Azimio La Umoja supporters not to sacrifice his bid for Nairobi governor because of ODM leader Raila Odinga's presidential bid. He said doing so would be like giving Raila conditions for backing.
Others who have declared they would contest for the Nairobi seat and are supporting Azimio La Umoja are governor Anne Kananu, businesswoman Anne Kagure and president of Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Richard Ngatia
While launching her gubernatorial bid on January 7, at the Kasarani Stadium Gymnasium, Kagure stated that she was in the hotly contested race and was better placed to replace Kananu.
She did not declare her party of choice but stated that she will vie for the seat through Azimio la Umoja coalition.
RAILA SUPPORTER
Kagure has been an ardent supporter of Raila's presidential bid.
Ngatia on the other hand has been a close confidant of Raila after the handshake between the ODM leader and President Uhuru Kenyatta.
On Sunday, Wanyonyi said the Nairobi voters should be left to decide who becomes their governor on 9 August.
“We cannot allow the future of Nairobi to be decided by a few people. I have told my party I'll go all the way to the ballot and I will meet those who will want to contest on ODM at the primaries,” he added.
He asked voters to look at the manifestos of those who will contest as well as their development track records.
“Do not go for certain positions because you come from a community that has the numbers. Go for these positions if you are keen on service delivery to the people,” he added.
Wanyonyi made the remarks when he met professionals from the Luhya community who are supporting his bid.
Others who have shown interest in the seat are Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja and former city MP Margaret Wanjiru.
In recent months, Sakaja has become a close confidant of ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi. He is however yet to declare the party through which he will contest the seat.
Wanjiru has indicated that she would vie for the seat on Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.
Edited by D Tarus