Aspirants ditch Jubilee Party one day to nominations

Aspirants ditch Jubilee Party one day to nominations

Two Nyeri political aspirants on Tuesday, April 25, ditched the Jubilee Party, a day to the outfit’s repeat primaries.

Wambugu Nyamu, who is eyeing Nyeri Senate seat, and Pater Weru, who has expressed interest in running for the Mathira Parliamentary seat have said they will not take part in the party’s nominations slated for Wednesday, April 26.

Another aspirant, who was reported to have retracted his interest in running for Nyeri governor on Jubilee ticket, Dr Wahome Gakuru, has clarified that he will be battling for the Party’s ticket on Wednesday.

Earlier reports had claimed that Mr Gakuru had decamped to Dr Alfred Mutua’s party, Mandeleo Chap Chap. He, however, refuted the reports, saying they were orchestrated by his political rivals.

Senatorial seat hopeful, Mr Nyamu, claims that there are sufficient indicators that the Jubilee Party primaries slated for Wednesday will not be fair, hence his decision to dump the outfit.

He says even before the primaries kick off, there are ready favourites subtly endorsed for the seat of Nyeri Senator.

Mr Nyamu, nonetheless, says his bid for Nyeri Senator remains on course, even if it means battling out for the seat as an independent candidate.

Mathira MP Peter Weru, who has expressed interest in retaining his seat, claims that he won’t be a candidate in the Jubilee Party primaries because “the exercise has been marred by electoral malpractices”.

Mr Weru, however, said he would be on the ballot on August 8 as an independent candidate.

Despite his withdrawal from the Jubilee Party race for Mathira MP, Mr Weru urged his supporters to come out in large numbers on Wednesday, April 26, to “lock out wrong candidates”.

The Nyeri politicians, who have ditched Jubilee party, join their counterparts in West Pokot County who moved to different political outfits, citing improper management of Party primaries by Jubilee officials.

On Friday, April 21, Kacheliba legislator Mark Lomunokol, ditched Jubilee Party a few minutes to the party primaries’ kick-off.

MP Lomunokol was to battle it out with area Governor Simon Kachapin’s political adviser, John Lodinyo.

On Monday, April 24, Sigor MP Philip Rotino and West Pokot County Woman Representative Reginah Nyeris decamped from Jubilee ahead of its Tuesday, April 25, nominations, and joined Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto’s Party, Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM).

MP Rotino was to compete against former Kapenguria Boys’ High School principal, Peter Lochakapong for the Jubilee ticket for Sigor Parliamentary seat.

Ms Nyeris, on the other hand, was to battle it out with Lillian Korinyang, Josephine Lokoma, Rodah Rotino and Lillian Tomtom for West Pokot Woman Rep.

The names and photos of the politicians who left Jubilee Party were printed on Jubilee Party ballot papers, nonetheless.

Governor Kachapin, who spoke at Siyoi Primary School after casting his vote on Tuesday afternoon (April 25), criticized aspirants who ditched Jubilee Party in the last minute, terming them non-loyalists, who had no courage to face off their competitors in the nominations.

The primaries in West Pokot County went on peacefully.

Report by Martin Munene, Meshack Kiptany, Brian Okoth

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JUBILEE NOMINATIONS odm parties

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