Blow to Jubilee as Embu officials, supporters decamp to rival parties

Jubilee Party has suffered a major blow after its Embu County branch officials decamped to other parties to campaign for other gubernatorial candidates.

Speaking in Embu, branch Chairperson, Elias Kathiga, who is now is a running mate to the Party of National Unity (PNU) Gubernatorial candidate says the officials have opted to jump ship because of what he termed as ‘interference from the Party’s headquarters’.

“The party officials at branch level were disillusioned by their peripheral role in the decision-making process and interference by the Party’s headquarters and opted to shift to other parties,” Kathiga said.

Kathiga says that the party officials at the branch level were ‘sidelined’ as they had no powers to run the Party’s affairs as they were expected without interference from the Party’s headquarters.

He argues that the officials are familiar with the County’s politics saying they were best placed to run the office and  faulted the party for conducting ‘shambolic party primaries’ and ‘meddling with the affairs of the regional office’.

“The party headquarters is run by cartel advancing their own interests to the detriment of the Party’s Presidential and County level campaigns,” added Mr. Kathiga.

They justified the move by arguing that most parties in the region are supporting President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election campaign.

All 19 officials have swapped Jubilee with other popular parties in the region.

Written by Wahome Gitonga