Governor Gladys Wanga has denied allegations that she has begun premature campaigns for the Kasipul parliamentary by-election in a bid to influence who becomes the next MP.

This follows the death of former MP Ong’ondo Were, who was shot dead in Nairobi on 30 April.

A section of Kasipul residents believe that Wanga’s frequent visits to the constituency are politically motivated, aimed at supporting a candidate of her choice.

However, Wanga has clarified that her visits are development-oriented, not political.

Speaking while distributing funds to the Kasipul Traders Association in Oyugis Town, Wanga said she has been visiting Kasipul and engaging residents to implement development programmes, just as she does in other constituencies in her county.

“Let nobody create confusion over my visits to Kasipul. My tour of this constituency is intended for implementation of development programmes,” Wanga said.

Wanga, who is also the National Chairperson of ODM, stated that her party does not yet have a candidate for the Kasipul parliamentary by-election.

She assured aspirants that ODM will conduct a fair nomination process to identify a candidate when the time comes.

“ODM still does not have a candidate for the Kasipul parliamentary seat. We will hold nominations that will give all interested aspirants an equal opportunity to participate,” she said.

However, the nomination process is subject to a declaration of vacancy by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula. Thereafter, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will announce the by-election timelines.

She dismissed claims that she is campaigning for a specific individual.

“ODM has a constitution that guides how we select our candidates. We will follow that constitution to identify one. At the moment, there is no ODM candidate being campaigned for,” Ms Wanga said.

She added that once a candidate is selected, all ODM officials and members will rally behind them during the campaign.

“Once we get the candidate, ODM members, officials, and elected leaders, including MCAs and MPs, will participate in the campaigns,” Wanga said.

The Governor urged residents to maintain peace, saying the death of Were should not spark political tension in Kasipul.