Jubilee Party Embu supporters threaten to decamp

A section of Jubilee supporters allied to Embu Senator, Lenny Kivuti, now want the election of interim county party officials repeated failure to which they will decamp.

Led by nominated Members of County Assembly (MCAs), Shunem Ngira and Rose Manunga, the supporters argue that the election process, which took place on December 13 last year, was marred by irregularities and characterized by chaos.

They claim that one of the aspirants bulldozed the others to include close allies in a list during a night meeting at an Embu hotel that was then presented to the Jubilee Party Headquarters.

They called on party leader, President Uhuru Kenyatta, to intervene by ordering a fresh, transparent and fair election for Embu County saying that they do not recognise the current interim officials.

“As Embu people, we expected free and fair polls of Jubilee Party interim officials, but that never took place as one aspirant messed up the process, we want a fresh round of elections. Anything short of that and we will marshal voters from Embu to demonstrate at the party headquarters,” said Ngira.

Manunga said they were surprised that the party headquarters endorsed a list of interim officials against the wish of majority of Embu people, even after President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto had assured them the party belonged to all and not to an individual.

“We are demanding a repeat of the elections so that the party can have strong structures in Embu and aspirants are confident of free and fair nominations.”

Jeremiah Kivuti, an elder from Runyenjes Constituency, pointed out that in the last election some 11,000 residents of Embu County had voted for the opposition but were now ready to vote for Jubilee if assured of transparent party elections.

While taking office, the elected Jubilee interim officials led by the chairman, Elias Kathiga, promised to unite disgruntled members and aspirants, in a bid to popularize the party in the region.

They extended an olive branch to Senator Kivuti, Mbeere North Member of Parliament, Muriuki Njagagua, and gubernatorial aspirant, Kithinji Kiragu, to join them in revitalizing the party in the area.

Kathiga said they had ceded two posts out of the 19 to be filled by officials chosen by Kivuti and Njagagua.