City lawyer Danstan Omari’s political influence continues to grow in Nairobi as Senator Edwin Sifuna’s controversies within the ODM Party deepen.
Recently, several Kenya Moja MPs hinted at the possibility of endorsing Senator Sifuna for the presidency in the next General Election a move that has reportedly left a section of his Nairobi supporters in confusion.
“We don’t know where to go. I personally defected to support Lawyer Danstan Omari as my Senate candidate for the next polls. I supported Sifuna for the last ten years, but you can see he is now chanting anti-ODM slogans,” said Boniface Oketch, a businessman from Kibera.
A recent survey indicates that Lawyer Omari’s popularity is on a steady rise, with a growing number of Raila Odinga’s staunch supporters shifting their allegiance to him. The report further suggests that Omari has emerged as the main challenger to Senator Sifuna, should elections be held today largely due to his humanitarian efforts, bold advocacy against injustices, and connection with ordinary citizens.
According to Stephen Owoko, a well-known political activist, Omari stands a strong chance of winning the Nairobi senatorial seat.
“Lawyer Danstan Omari is a wise man. He doesn’t insult anyone; he is close to the people and has focused entirely on Nairobi. This gives him an advantage over Senator Sifuna, who still appears uncertain about which party he will contest under,” Owoko observed.
He added that, unlike Sifuna who has been linked to possible defection, Omari remains politically grounded and increasingly appealing to various voter blocs.
Sources close to the ODM leadership have hinted that Raila Odinga may endorse Omari should Sifuna leave the party. In such a scenario, Raila is said to be eyeing political partnerships with Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula to consolidate the Luhya vote in exchange for supporting Governor Johnson Sakaja’s second-term bid.
More updates to follow…