76-year-old Mathira MP aspirant Wambura Wa Maranga joins Jubilee

The 76-year-old tycoon is eyeing the Mathira parliamentary seat in the upcoming elections in a move that will pit her against current legislator Rigathi Gachagua, a once-loyal Jubilee member turned Deputy President William Ruto ally.

 She, alongside other Mathira delegates, was welcomed into the party by Jubilee Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni on Friday. Jubilee also welcomed former Tetu MP Ndung'u Gethenji and Ol Kalou MP David Kiaraho to its ranks. Gethenji is seeking to reclaim his seat while Kiaraho is looking to defend his seat at the August polls.

Earlier on Friday, the party’s Director of Elections Kanini Kega received former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and Kitui gubernatorial aspirant David Musila into the outfit. Ruiru politician Esther Gathogo also joined the party in a bid to contest for the township’s parliamentary seat. 

“The Jubilee Party receives a delegation from Mathira Constituency led by Hon. Wambura Wa Maranga who is seeking the Mathira Constituency MP seat on a Jubilee ticket. Karibu Nyumbani!” Jubilee tweeted on Friday.

 Maranga vied for the position as an independent candidate in 2017 before ultimately losing out to Gachagua. According to IEBC data, Gachagua garnered 52,757 votes to win the elections while 28,893 persons voted for Maranga.

 Maranga notably floored Gachagua during Jubilee’s first round of nominations only to lose out to the DP Ruto ally by 4,000 votes when the primaries were repeated. She would later file a petition to challenge the results but this proved unsuccessful.

 “Kioni amesema ati kuna kitu kilifanyika 2017. Mimi siangalii nini kilitendeka lakini naangalia where we are going now and right now we are going to Mathira and we will use Jubilee,” she said.  

 “In 2017 we came here for a petition and we never came back again here but now that we are here, it is a sign that we have healed. Never again will Mathira be a hub of disgracing the office of the president,” she said in a perceived toned-down attack on Gachagua who has on more than one occasion verbally confronted President Kenyatta.