Battle lines for the Nairobi PNU elections next month were Thursday drawn after some leaders threw their weight behind a Cabinet minister.

The leaders, who included Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu and Nairobi deputy mayor John Njoroge announced that they would back Public Health minister Beth Mugo for a national post.

The minister said she had been assured of support by most of the 46 elected and nominated councillors at City Hall.

She announced that an interim team had been set up to oversee the polls, with her as the Nairobi coordinator.

But the meeting to endorse Mrs Mugo, who is the Dagoretti MP, was not attended by other city PNU heavyweights, who are likely to face her at the polls.

They are former Sports minister Maina Kamanda, who was the PNU point man during the last General Elections, Makadara MP Dick Wathika and Kamukunji MP Simon Mbugua,

But Mrs Mugo told a media conference, after holding a two-hour meeting with the PNU leaders at the headquarters, that all the absent leaders had sent their apologies.

The minister would be assisted by Nairobi deputy mayor, who will target all the civic seats in the city.

Said Mrs Mugo: "We have also resolved that all PNU candidates who lost in the last parliamentary elections in Nairobi would serve as the interim coordinators, the same will also apply to the civic candidates."

United party

PNU won four of the eight Nairobi seats, which are Dagoretti, Makadara, Kamukunji and Embakasi, but lost Langata, Westlands, Kasarani and Starehe to ODM.

Thursday's meeting named Mr Stanley Livondo as the Langata coordinator, Mr Kamanda (Starehe), Mrs Betty Tett (Westlands) and Mr Waihinya Ndirangu (Kasarani).

At the same time, the city PNU leaders, who are from its affiliate parties, said that they fully backed President Kibaki's proposal to have one united and strong party despite protest by some leaders of its affiliate parties.

The polls are in line with the recently enacted Political Parties Act.