Nakuru titans fight for Jubilees gubernatorial ticket

By Ben Kirui

Sitting Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua, Former NTSA chairman Lee Kinyanjui and former NACADA boss John Mututho are scheduled to battle it out for Jubilee’s Nakuru gubernatorial ticket, Friday.

In a region where President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto enjoy massive support, the exercise will be a make-or-break for the three candidates.

Political campaigns have intensified in recent weeks, with all three candidates rallying support from different corners of the county ahead of the party primaries.

Ethnic coalitions will likely determine who carries the day with some commentators opining that a Kikuyu-Kalenjin candidacy will have an upper hand in the county.

Both Lee Kinyanjui and John Mututho – who previously served as MPs Naivasha and Nakuru Town constituencies respectively – have not publicly announced their intended running mates.

Mbugua is, however, intent on retaining his running mate, Deputy Governor Joseph Ruto.

Kinuthia Mbugua, who was a former AP Commandant before serving as Area Chief, garnered 70% of the total 700,000 votes, is still the man to beat, despite criticism from certain quotas.

The party primaries were off to a slow start Friday, raising concern over the fairness of the polls.