Kidero to bankroll Raila's presidential campaigns

Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero has said he will finance ODM party leader Raila Odinga's 2017 presidential campaigns.

Dr Kidero said he will ensure that the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) leader clinches the presidency.

Mr Kidero promised to ensure that Mr Odinga’s votes in Nairobi County increase from the 700,000 he garnered in 2013, to over one million in the next polls.

Mr Odinga will battle it out with incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta in the election expected to be very competitive.

"I will do anything that to ensure that Raila clinches Presidency even if I will use money as Raila will change the lives of Kenyans and make sure that there is equality,” said Dr Kidero in Nairobi on Wednesday.
The governor was addressing Nairobi ODM delegates during a luncheon at a Nairobi Hotel. The ODM delegates pledged to accompany Raila during all his rallies in a bid to popularise the Cord leader throughout the country.

On Sunday the Nairobi County governor and his Mombasa counterpart Ali Hassan Joho supported Raila's candidature for the presidency, saying that they will not allow other people to 'eat meat' as other Kenyans languish in poverty.

“Raila will not eat meat while the people of Kenya are suffering, if Raila eats meat we all eat, if we sleep hungry Raila sleeps hungry," said Dr Kidero.

The Nairobi County boss said ODM's popularity has increased after the Jubilee Party merger. Kidero said many people fear of the minimum slots left for them leaving ODM as the popular party.

DIVIDE AND RULE

He said that the ODM party is popular in Western, Nyanza, Coast and the Eastern regions and called upon the party supporters to beat Jubilee government’s strategy of “divide and rule.”

Dr Kidero announced that Nairobi will be holding a three-day delegates conference from October 15-17, 2016.

"On the 17th (October) we will hold a mega rally that will be three times what was witnessed in Mombasa. We want to celebrate our Party anniversary in style," said Kidero who urged ODM Party defectors to resign.

He called upon Mathare MP Steven Kariuki, who has since defected to Jubilee Party, to refund Sh20 million the party used to fund his campaign in 2013 elections.

Dr Kidero said that Jubilee felt the heat during the Sunday rally, forcing the President Uhuru Kenyatta make an impromptu tour in the city on Monday.

Nairobi ODM chairman, George Aladwa said there would be no automatic party nominations and leaders should start campaigns to popularise Mr Odinga's bid for the presidency.

"All those hoping to vie for various elective positions on ODM tickets will have to accept decisions made by the party leaders,” Aladwa said.

Mr Aladwa said that there will be no more delegate’s election and the current ones will serve for the next five years.

Nominated Senator, Elizabeth Ongoro said those eyeing ODM tickets should be ready to add value to Mr Odinga’s State House bid.