I was punished for supporting Jubilee in 2013 – Charity Ngilu

Former Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu has attributed her loss in the Kitui Senatorial race in 2013 to her defection from CORD to Jubilee.

Speaking in an interview on Citizen TV’s Cheche, Ngilu explained that the people of Kitui felt that she had betrayed them by severing links with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka thus resolving to punish her through the ballot.

The Narc leader lost the seat to the incumbent David Musila of Wiper who garnered 156,690 votes over the former’s 111,447 votes.

She further pointed at her delay in launching her senatorial campaigns as a factor that led to her failure in clinching the seat.

“People on the ground feel that I left the Ministry of Water late so by the time I started my campaigns it was already too late,” she said.

“I appreciate that in 2013 I lost and the reasons are clear. I am ready to put that behind me and focus on the Kitui governorship seat,” she said.

Ngilu however played up her chances of clinching the governor seat in 2017 saying she has had time to interact with the people on the ground and is seeking to articulate their issues.

“We need to look at the resources available, the first being the people themselves. The people say they want a person who will fight for them and work for them.”

The Narc leader however remained coy on whether she will join CORD or Jubilee coalitions, instead stating that she still remains independent.

Ngilu, who has been a keen critic of CORD since joining Jubilee in 2013, however seemed to sympathize with the opposition over their apparent mistreatment by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), saying there was need for dialogue on the issues raised.

She accused the electoral agency of being unfair in dealing with the issue of Okoa Kenya referendum signatures claiming there is no way half of the 1.6 million signatures were fake.

The one-time presidential aspirant asserted that there was need for transparency in IEBC regarding matters of national concern, adding that it would have been vital for the commissioners to agree to a meeting with CORD principals to discuss their concerns.

“I feel like the way IEBC handled this matter leave a lot to be desired. It would have been best to just agree to a meeting with CORD leader in the full glare of cameras and discuss the pressing issues that the opposition has raised,” stated the former CS.

She also disregarded popular beliefs that stick the odds against women in governorship and presidential races saying she has what it takes to clinch the seat.

Kitui Senator and Wiper Chair David Musila has already declared interest in the seat. If Musila pushes through with her ambitions, he will have to battle it out with the incumbent Julius Malombe for the Wiper nomination ticket before facing Ngilu on the ballot.

@benjaminwafula