Deputy President (DP) William Ruto on Wednesday backed his party’s decision not to field a candidate in the Msambweni by-election slated for December 15.
Speaking moments after visiting Jubilee Party’s headquarters in Pangani, DP Ruto said that the secretary-general, Raphael Tuju, had briefed him before the decision reached but he was of a different view that the party should have fielded a candidate.
He said as supported the decision for the sake of the unity of the party but sympathised with Mariam Sharlete, who was at Pangani to receive her nomination papers to vie on a Jubilee ticket.
Sharlette had just resigned from the Orange Democratic Movement party to seek Jubilee’s ticket for the mini-poll.
Asked if he will support Sharlete, who will now vie as an independent candidate, the DP said that he would consider it if she requests for his support.
Just before Ruto made the announcement, former State House Digital Strategist, Dennis Itumbi, had hinted that Sharlete was set to receive nomination papers to vie on a Jubilee ticket.
However, in a statement to the press, Tuju informed the public that Jubilee would not field a candidate citing the uncertain prevailing climate caused by Chief Justice David Maraga’s advisory to the President to dissolve Parliament over continued refusal to enact the two-thirds gender rule.
