Waititu has name change

Nairobi Governor candidate Ferdinand Waititu has changed his name to Ferdinand Clifford Ndung’u Waititu.

In a deed poll – a legal document that proves a change of name-- Mr Waititu has now embraced the name that is in his academic certificates “Clifford Ndung’u Waititu” and the one on his identity card “Ferdinand Ndung’u Waititu”.

The deed poll dated January 11, 2013 noted that Mr Waititu has “formally and absolutely renounced and abandoned the use of his former name Ferdinand Clifford Ndung'u Waititu alias Clifford Ndung'u Waititu”.

The deed poll was executed and registered at the Registry of Documents in Nairobi through Evans Ondieki, who is Mr Waititu’s lawyer, and who, Mr Waititu had named as running mate in the gubernatorial race.

“ (Mr Waititu) in lieu thereof assumed and adopted the name Ferdinand Clifford Ndung'u Waititu, for all purposes and authorises and requests all persons at all times to designate, describe and address him by his assumed name Ferdinand Clifford Ndung'u Waititu only,” reads the document in Gazette Notice number 1076.

That gesture alone puts the aspiring governor of Nairobi at ease. He had complained that people were using the discrepancy to tarnish his name. The claim was that he was not the owner of the documents that were in his possession.

When the controversy raged earlier in the month, Mr Waititu was forced to call a news conference to confirm that he was Ferdinand Clifford Ndung’u Waititu. He dismissed all those who were on his neck about the authenticity of the documents as fellows out to tarnish his credibility, and possibly, push him out of the race to be the pioneer governor of the city.

Mr Waititu won the TNA ticket in the nominations held last weekend.

He becomes the second city politician to change his name.

He follows in the footsteps of former Makadara MP and senatorial aspirant Mbuvi Gedion Kioko, who added the name Mike Sonko, so that he is now known as Mbuvi Gedion Kioko Mike Sonko.