Nairobi ODM Chairman George Aladwa Backing Sakaja Against Azimio's Igathe in Race to City Hall

Ahead of the 2010 referendum it was rumuored that the then Vice President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka was at daytime in the yes team but at night with the no brigade to to be branded as a water lemon.

It is alleged that during the 2010 referendum campaigns, Kalonzo supported the draft constitution in the campaign but members of the campaign team opposing the constitution, led by the then Agriculture Minister William Ruto, claimed that he was secretly opposing the draft leading to a comparison of Kalonzo to a watermelon fruit which is naturally green on the outside and red inside.

Similarly, Aladwa who is the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Nairobi chairman George Aladwa is pro-Azimio Nairobi gubernatorial candidate Polycarp Igathe openly but secretly reaching out to rival Kenya Kwanza’s United Democratic Alliance UDA) candidate Johnson Sakaja.

Aladwa who is the Makadara constituency Member of Parliament (MP) is backing Sakaja’s bid for monetary favours.

Aladwa is said to have secretly promised Sakaja to rally the luhya votes behind Sakaja so that they can have one of their own as Nairobi Governor.

According to sources, from both Aladwa’s and Sakaja’s camps is that they have both been meeting of the MP mobilizing Luhyas who have always been backing ODM to shift their votes to the Nairobi Senator in consolidating his votes in winning the city’s gubernatorial seat.

To attract Sakaja’s attention, Aladwa started a and smear campaign against the Nairobi Senator by branding him a Kalenjin going by his surname Koskei disowning Sakaja as a Luhya.

The propaganda worked well for Aladwa as he got invited to Sakaja’s corner for support and firefighting in return for financial favours.

Igathe aware of the scheme has moved to Makadara constituency to tame Aladwa by reaching out to ODM nominations losers who include former area MP Reuben Ndolo and former councilor Jack Olonde from ODM and Jubilee's Mark Ndugu who have in turn to throw their weight behind Julius Kaunda of the wheelbarrow party to contest as Independent candidate. 

Aladwa is at the centre of a row in the rival party UDA’s nominations in Makadara where he took money from aspirants ahead of the nominations with a promise of using his supporters in assisting them win the party’s ticket.

Kaunda is said to be bitter with Aladwa whom he gave Ksh 2million to help in the mobilizing his supporters to vote for Kaunda during UDA nominations.

Insiders say, Aladwa applied double standards by also pocketing money from another UDA Makadara aspirant Mathews Mburu Maina aka Three M who was also contesting in the same exercise. 

Despite Aladwa’s support, Kaunda managed less than 60 votes in total in Makongeni perceived Aladwa's strong hold and an area he once represented for two terms before rising to be the Nairobi Mayor and now area MP.

Aladwa who is buoyed by ODM’s support that he enjoys from the majority of Luos and Luhyas is facing an uphill task against newcomer and businessman Athony Waithaka aka Anto or Makadara 1 of UDA who is giving the incumbent MP sleepless nights.

Waithaka enjoys massive support from all communities in Mkadara including from the Luos and Luhya tribes who are perceived to religiously back ODM but are disgruntled and annoyed by Aladwa who was elected on the Orange party ticket in 2017 for letting them and the party down with his poor development record and habitual bad behaviors.

Waithaka is currently leading in the pack according to the recent opinion polls in the Makadara parliamentary race.