ODM, Jubilee to ‘front one candidate’ in Wajir West in spirit of handshake.

President Uhuru Kenyatta puts on Jubilee shirt during State House meeting with Majority Leader in the National Assembly, Aden Duale (left) and Ahmed Kolosh. (Courtesy)

NAIROBI—The “spirit of handshake” is set to determine the outcome of the Wajir West by-election as poll date nears.

According to sources close to the candidates for Jubilee and Orange Democratic Movement— Ahmed Kolosh and Mohamed Yussuf respectively—the duo are reportedly in negotiations in a deal that will see one of them sacrificing his ambitions and supporting the other.

It is  believed that move is aimed at honouring the March 3rd, 2018 handshake between President Uhuru and Raila Odinga.  The Jubilee Party did not field candidates for the by-elections in Ugenya and Embakasi South Constituencies.

In Wajir West, the Jubilee party wants the favour reciprocated.

Ahmed Kolosh lost the seat after a successful petition by KANU candidate, Ibrahim Sheikh. Kolosh’s victory was quashed by the Supreme Court on late January.

Since then, he switched parties and joined Jubilee which had no candidate in the 2017 polls.

ODM leader Raila Odinga shakes hands with Wajir West likely Party candidate, Prof Elmi. (Twitter)

ODM party leader, Raila Odinga has since endorsed Mohamed Yusuf for the forthcoming Wajir West Parliamentary by-election slated for 25 April, 2019.

“We assured our party leader that North Eastern is a Jubilee territory and we shall mobilize wananchi and members of our party in Wajir West so as to deliver the seat to our party,” Duale said.

Raila Odinga vowed that the Wajir West seat—historically an opposition stronghold—will be clinched by his favorite candidate, ODM’s Mohamed Yusuf.

“That man (Ahmed Kolosh) ran away and joined the other side, but the seat belongs to ODM. If he left the party , then he lost the chance,” Raila said while endorsing Yusuf in Wajir two weeks ago.

In response, Garissa Township legislator told Kulan Post that Raila’s party will remain with only one MP from the pastoralist counties.

“They are non starters. We shall take West and they will only remain with (Wajir) North in the whole pastoralist area,” Duale noted.