Former rivals for the Kibra by-elections have merged their teams ahead of the 2022 general elections.
A statement from Eliud Owalo on Wednesday said his team together with Mcdonald Mariga’s team held a working session with a multi-faceted team of leaders and decided to consolidate efforts as they support DP William Ruto.
“We will now have only one strong and united Kibra’ Hustler- team informed by the amalgamation-working objectively and tirelessly toward Bill Ruto 2022,” Owalo said.
He added that moving forward, “everything and anything else at whatever other levels will now be aligned to that bigger picture as a pre-requisite.”
During the 2019 by-elections, Owalo vied for the Kibra seat using his former party (ANC) while Mariga was a Jubilee party candidate.
Mariga was the second according to the IEBC’s released official results, gaining 11,230 votes while Okoth Bernard Otieno Imran (ODM) emerged the winner with 24,636 votes.
Owalo was third with 5,275 votes as Khamisi Butichi (Ford Kenya) became fourth with 260 votes.
Woodley MCA Mwangi Njehia and Parliamentary Aspirant Judah Oduor among other leaders were present as the two merged.
Owalo resigned as a member of the Musalia Mudavadi’s party in August saying that he felt it was “imperative to create ample space within the Party”.
He later announced that he settled for the DP’s camp and has since been together in many functions.
“Based on the foregoing and informed by a contextual analysis of all the probable 2022 Presidential candidates, I have with effect from today made a deliberate and conscious decision to stand with Kenyans by pursuing my political interests and aspirations within the ambit of the “Hustler” Political Matrix,” he said.