Munya to unveil chosen political party in March

Meru County Governor Peter Munya has said he will disclose the political party with which he intends to use to vie in next year’s General Election in March.

Speaking in Igembe South and Igembe Central during public meetings, Munya said he would choose an existing party and rebrand it, as his bid to form a new party has been sabotaged.

The Council of Governors chairman intimated that he has already established a network to recruit new members to join the party and popularize it across the country.

Munya cited the defeat of the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) candidate in the Nyongores Ward by-election and Jubilee’s tough battle with KANU in the Kericho senatorial mini-poll as a clear sign of the strong opposition the newly formed Jubilee Party will face.

Early February, Munya stormed out of a meeting convened by Deputy President William Ruto who had been on the road in recent months consolidating support for the Jubilee Party ahead of the 2017 polls.

Ruto had camped at the Council of Governors Chair (COG) backyard for the launch of Youth Empowerment Sacco.

Leaders accompanying the Deputy President ramped up support for the new party, with many throwing barbs at the Meru Governor who has on several occasions opposed Jubilee Alliance’s move to disband constituent parties in favour of one joint party ahead of the 2017 polls.

“I have been in politics for a while now; I am not a young-ling – I am a seasoned politician. I have the right to select what party I chose to vie under in 2017. Nobody, and I repeat nobody, can force my hand. Nobody can force me run for office on a Jubilee ticket,” stated Munya.

“In 2017 I will run for office under a different party; not Jubilee. I know that there are people who have been paid to disrupt the meeting, but that is their problem,” he added.

In January 2016, Munya had indicated plans to form his own political party.

Munya was however categorical that his new party will support president Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy William Ruto in 2017.

In November 2015, it was announced that the Jubilee coalition affiliate parties will now collapse and form one party.

The coalition’s National Steering Committee announced that it had finalised all the necessary documents for all parties close shop and join the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP).