Deputy President Dr William Ruto’s camp, led by ODM “rebel” Aisha Jumwa, has suffered another blow after two of its erstwhile backers, Kilifi North MP Owen Baya and Women Representative Gertrude Mbeyu, rejoined ODM leader Raila Odinga’s camp ahead of Kilifi mini poll set for October 17.
The Ganda ward seat fell vacant following a successful petition challenging the election of then-ODM candidate Abdul Omar. Mr Reuben Katana, who ran on a Kadu Asili ticket but lost, filed the petition.
Mr Omar, a close ally of Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa, has since decamped from the Orange party and will contest for the seat as an independent candidate.
On the other hand, Mr Katana has rejoined ODM and secured its ticket to contest the seat. Mr Joseph Kiponda alias Giuseppe’s will vie on Jubilee Party ticket.
In an interview with Daily Nation on Friday, Gertrude Mbeyu vowed to make sure the ODM candidate wins the by-election.
“I am an ODM member and I will support our ODM candidate to win the seat. As we speak now, I am from an Embrace rally in Kakamega. The team is coming to Kilifi at the end of this month,” she said.
Ms Mbeyu accused Ms Jumwa of chasing her out of the Ruto camp on grounds that she had “no votes” to offer the DP.
“If a friend tells me that I don’t have any vote to enable the DP to win the 2022 General Election, then let it be. But I want to tell the friend that she will be in for a surprise,” she said in a statement.
“I am embracing Raila and the President in supporting the Handshake, so my duty as an ODM member is to make sure that my candidate wins the Ganda by-election.”