Jubilee Party has revealed that it won’t be field a candidate in the upcoming Msambweni by-election scheduled by the electoral commission for December 15.
The ruling party’s Secretary-General, Raphael Tuju, said that the decision was informed by a consideration of the prevailing uncertain political climate after Chief Justice David Maraga called for the dissolution of Parliament.
Speaking while addressing the press on Wednesday, September 23, Tuju said that fielding a candidate in an Orange Democratic Movement stronghold would paint a bad picture since the parties enjoy cordial relations owing to the truce between President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition chief, Raila Odinga.
“This announcement has been made in good time so that any aspirant who has an interest in a Jubilee ticket still has other pathways to running for this seat,” said Tuju.
However, shortly after Tuju’s announcement, Deputy President William Ruto pulled up at the Jubilee Headquarters in Pangani, Nairobi.
His reason for visiting the offices was not yet established.
However, the party in the Kibra by-election was rocked by rifts between DP Ruto and Tuju’s over skirmishes on who to support between Jubilee’s candidate McDonald Mariga and ODM’s Imran Okoth.
Already two ODM aspirants have expressed interest to run for the Msambweni seat to succeed Suleiman Dori who died in March.
The two aspirants are Nicholas Zanni and Omari Idd Boga.
ODM is expected to clinch the seat again with the ruling party out of its way.
