As the gubernatorial race in Kakamega county hits up, the ODM leader Raila Odinga has endorsed Fernandes Barasa, the bitter rival of Senator Cleophas Malala.
Speaking during a rally in the Khwisero constituency on Saturday, March 26, the former prime minister said that Barasa has what it takes to take over for Wycliffe Oparanya.
“We have Fernandes Barasa here…he is enough or not? As we pass the baton to Barasa, Oparanya and I will go to Nairobi where he will help me work from there,” Raila said.
The endorsement of the former Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO) means that the ODM nomination for the seat will not take place.
Barasa will now take on Cleophas Malala in a bruising battle for the coveted seat on August 9.
The move by Raila to endorse Barasa is likely to cause frictions with DAP-K who are also fronting Lugari MP Ayub Savula as their gubernatorial candidate.
Apart from Barasa and Malala, Ayub Savula and Philip Kutima who are set to square it on nomination under DAP Kenya will also be in the ring to attempt to succeed Oparanya.
While Barasa and whoever will emerge as the DAP-K winner will be representative of Azimio la Umoja, Malala will be the sole representative of the Kenya Kwanza alliance.
On March 23, former senator Boni Khalwale has dropped his Kakamega gubernatorial bid in favor of Cleophas Malala ahead of the August 9, General Election.
This was after Deputy President William Ruto and ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi brokered a deal between the two Kenya Kwanza leaders that would now see Khalwale go for the Kakamega Senate seat this year’s elections.
