Confusion as Jubilee’s Nyeri office is closed over rent arrears

Controversies in the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) Nyeri branch deepened after its offices were closed down due to an unpaid rent arrears of Ksh 100,000.

James Kariuki Wanyamba – the owner of the building located at Skuta Estate in Nyeri town – stormed at the premise, repainted it and locked it completely.

He accused the party of neglecting the premise, adding that the building was recently vandalized by unknown people due to lack of a security personnel to man it.

Businessman Dr Thuo Mathenge who claims to be heading the interim JAP committee in Nyeri County could not be reached for comment as his phone went unanswered.

There have been several wrangles surrounding JAP.

On Monday, there was a six hour standoff between Members of Jubilee Alliance Party reloaded and police in Nanyuki after the party’s scheduled voter registration awareness drive was cancelled at the eleventh in the town.

The members led by national and local officials of JAP Reloaded found the Central Park which was to be venue of their rally ringed by scores of police officer wearing anti-riot gear.

Nanyuki police station boss Joash Nyachiro had on June 9 endorsed the rally in a letter but later cancelled it on Saturday evening through an SMS to one of the members on the grounds that there were no enough police officers to provide security.

Local JAP chairman Wachira Gituku said they had committed personal resources to ensure President Uhuru Kenyatta is re-elected in 2017 and their major aim was not to play politics but to urge youths to registers as voters and to take national identity cards.

Jubilee youth sensitization rally cancelled

The officials said they had spent more than Ksh 600,000 for the rally only for the police to cancel it at the behest of some politicians who have been frustrating the Jubilee administration.

Laikipia East police boss Kegode Kidiavai contradicted his OCS saying police had received intelligence that another fuction of Jap did not want the rally to go on and that was why police had to cancel it.

However, the members stormed Kegode’s office and told him that they would go on with the rally since it was not political but only to sensitize youths to participate in 2017 elections and dangers of alcoholism.

The rally was allowed to go on several hours later after the intervention of county commissioner Wilson Wanyanga.

Laikipia East MP Mutahi Kimaru who was accused of colluding with police to frustrate the rally denied, the allegations noting that JAP headquarters had no knowledge of the function and local leaders were not well informed.

Last month, there was pandemonium as two political groups claiming leadership of the newly formed Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) clashed at a Nyahururu hotel at the weekend forcing the meeting to abort.

The two groups allied to The National Alliance (TNA) and URP had met to plan ways of recruiting new members among other issues pertaining to the party before matters went haywire.