Azimio picks Igathe for Nairobi governor as Tim Wanyonyi steps down to defend MP seat

Westlands Member of Parliament Tim Wanyonyi has now dropped his bid for Nairobi governor to back the candidature of former Equity Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Polycarp Igathe.

This unprecedented move was announced by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya party leader Raila Odinga who laid out the political faction’s much-awaited line-up for the country’s capital.

According to Odinga, who spoke following consultation talks at KICC on Friday, Wanyonyi will now seek to defend his Westlands MP seat.

Odinga also revealed that Igathe will run for the Nairobi governorship on a joint ticket with former Kibwezi MP Philip Kaloki as his running mate.

“We have had a meeting here, as the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition, and today we were talking about our Nairobi team. There have been consultations that have been going on for the last few days, and I’m happy to report that we have concluded and we’re ready now to unveil Team Nairobi for Azimio la Umoja One Kenya,” he said.

“The governor candidate is going to be Mr. Polycarp Igathe, he will be deputized by Prof. Kaloki. As you know there were other members of our coalition who had expressed the desire to become governors; one of them is Timothy Wanyonyi. Wanyonyi has decided to step down from the governorship contest and go back and re-contest his seat as a member of the National Assembly for the Westlands Constituency.”

Odinga also announced that businessman Richard Ngatia, who was also seeking the city’s top seat on a Jubilee ticket, had also agreed to step down and support the candidature of Igathe and Kaloki.

In return, he stated, Ngatia would assume an immediate role as President Uhuru Kenyatta’s advisor on trade.

He further stated that the coalition party had resolved to field ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna as the Nairobi Senatorial candidate while Esther Passaris will defend his seat as Woman Representative under the umbrella.

“Richard Ngatia has also graciously agreed to step down in favour of Polycarp Igathe. Ngatia is going to be appointed as the President’s special envoy on trade with immediate effect,” stated the ODM chief.

“We will have a Senator candidate, Edwin Sifuna, and the Woman Representative is going to be Esther Passaris.”