Raila, Kalonzo battle spreads to Ruto’s Turbo parliamentary backyard
A battle of titans looms in Deputy President William Ruto’s Uasin-Gishu backyard as ODM leader Raila Odinga and his Wiper counterpart Kalonzo Musyoka intensify campaigns to capture Turbo parliamentary seat.
The incumbent Janet Sitienei who was elected as an independent candidate in 2017 is defending the seat on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket after she floored four men in the party primaries.
Raila led Azimio La Umoja has already issued a direct ticket to Samson Wanjama Mugo alias ‘Samkiz’ something that has rubbed Kalonzo supporters the wrong way.
Wiper have fielded Richard Kemboi who will vie on former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo led United Democratic Party (UDP) an affiliate party of One Kenya Alliance.
Kemboi who launched his manifesto yesterday pledged to prioritise water provision to Turbo residents and boost irrigation in the agriculture rich region.
“My other main area of focus will be to address the plight of single and teenage mothers who have been ignored for long,” Kemboi, a father of five said.
“We will ensure teenage mothers are given a chance to go back to school while we will come up with a special fund to assist single mothers with capital to startup businesses,” added the youthful aspirant.
He said he will also reach out to donors to set up industries in the area to address the problem of youth unemployment in the region.
Kemboi has however pledged he will support Raila’s presidential bid even as he dismissed claims he was unhappy after Mugo was given a direct ticket.
Sitienei has urged all those who lost to her in the UDA primaries to support the betterment of the vast constituency that Ruto represented for over 20 years.
“My development record speaks for itself and I urge Turbo constituency people to give me a second chance so that I can complete all the projects. I’m ready to face all my opponents,” said Sitienei.
Mugo on the hand is banking on the youth vote unsuccessfully vied for the Huruma Ward Representative seat in 2017. He said he is fit for the job and has dared his opponents to prepare for a bruising political.
