Last minute scheming eliminated early lead of Passaris
Last minute manoeuvres by PNU ensured that ODM’s Esther Passaris lost the Embakasi Parliamentary seat to PNU’s Ferdinand Waititu.
By Wednesday last week, opinion polls conducted by various pollsters for both PNU and ODM in Embakasi showed that Passaris was leading Waititu.
On realizing the party was losing the seat, PNU shifted into high gear. It activated its city councillors, some Mungiki members, and also released millions of shillings which were distributed to agents last weekend. The money was used to pay off Passaris agent and provide transport for some voters.
Waititu’s campaign was taken over last Friday by assistant minister Dick Wathika, Laikipia West MP Nderitu Muriithi, PNU executive director major Matu and former Mungiki leader Reverend Ndura Waruinge.
Nderitu, Ndura and Major Matu held their first meeting at Silver Springs hotel in
Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta met all PNU councillors in
PNU also secretly reached a deal with ODM agents who leaked information regarding her campaign strategies to Waititu.
“While we escorted Passaris around the constituency and she paid us for the job well done, we reported all her plans and next moves to Waititu. For the whole of last week we did not campaign for her in the evening as we were supposed to do after we parted ways. Instead we worked for Waititu,” said an ODM agent who claimed that many of his colleagues were also double agents.
The meetings by PNU to plot how to “kill off” Passaris were held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. PNU bigwigs Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Minister of Justice Martha Karua then made a final tour of Embakasi on Monday.
“The seat was won last weekend and the Monday campaign tour in Embakasi was a lap of honour,” said Waititu.
Waititu got 36,536 votes against 27,339 for Passaris in the tightly contested by-election held on Wednesday.
The win ensured that PNU at least walked away with two parliamentary seats out of the five that were being contested countrywide. ODM took Wajir North, Emuhaya and Ainamoi.
Fighting broke out in Kilgoris in the night of the election where 14 houses and a car were set on fire after PNU’s Gideon Konchellah clinched the seat.
Passaris has flatly refused to accept Waititu’s win claiming widespread voter irregularities and malpractices.
“It’s too early for PNU to celebrate because I will be taking action to claim my rightful win. You have not won this seat,” an angry Passaris said immediately the results were announced.
Electoral expert Koki Muli who observed the Embakasi election told the Nairobi Star that the scanners were not working in most polling centres and this allowed wayward voters to vote as many times as they wished.
“In these circumstances, voters who could clean their fingers wit high-tech chemicals were able to vote almost over ten times in the same polling center but in different polling stations within it,” she said.
Contacted yesterday, Ndura could not deny or confirm Mungili’s secret hand in Waititu’s campaign. “Iam a PNU supporter and have given my little contribution to the party,” said Ndura.
Embakasi was seen as a key battle ground for the two coalition partners and ODM was expected to retain the seat which the late Mugabe Were won for them in December last year.
Most of the PNU losers in nominations led by former mayor John Ndirangu and Kanu Chairman David Kamahuhia threw their weight behind Waititu which helped him win the seat.
ODM leaders including Prime Minister Raila Odinga also went to Embakasi.
That I must say is campaigning at its best.If you can marshal your supporters and agents and plan your strategy then you are doing a good job to convince the electorate why they should vote for you.
ReplyDeleteToo bad there always has to be a winner and loser!