EMBU STANDS OUT IN THE RECENT JUBILEE PARTY ELECTIONS.

Embu leaders show unity during recent Jubilee Party Primaries

The just concluded Jubilee Party elections for interim officials, conducted country wide, is said to have been characterized by chaos and political backstabbing.

According to reports reaching our news desk, violence during the exercise emanated from disagreements between supporters of various aspirants especially for the gubernatorial seat in respective counties, all seeking to be elected on the Jubilee Party's ticket.

While political competition between allies of different contestants marred the Primaries in Meru and Nyeri counties, Kirinyaga and Embu counties have been lauded for peaceful elections.

Peaceful elections in Embu County

In Embu, the major gubernatorial aspirants; Business man Kithinji Kiragu, Runyenjes MP Cecily Mbarire and incumbent governor Martin Wambora, exhibited a rare show of unity, whereby they came together to have the interim officials elected on the basis of constituencies instead of 'who supports who' criteria as witnessed in other places.

Senator Kivuti (center) with proposed Running mate,
former Manyatta MP Emilio Kathuri (Right)

The other aspirant, Senator Lenny Kivuti, however absconded the primaries albeit having agreed and committed himself to the formula.

In the elections held at Mountain Breeze Hotel in Embu town, the three gubernatorial candidates and Manyatta MP John Muchiri and several aspirants agreed to share the 19 posts according to constituencies.

Manyatta, Runyenjes and Mbeere South constituencies got five posts each while Mbeere North got four. Mr Elias Njeru Kathiga,  was elected chairman even as Mr Kiragu dismissed the exercise as faulty and allegedly ditched Jubilee Party.

The current political atmosphere in Embu can only be described as volatile with some reading mischief in Ms. Mbarire's 'support' for the incumbent and suspect that the lady legislator is possibly out to deal governor Wambora a bad card. However, those who know the incumbent's political acumen are confident that he knows what he is doing.

Is Ms Mbarire playing Wambora? The question on many a political analyst's mind.

In Tharaka-Nithi, businessmen George Mati and Isaac Mugo were elected chairman and secretary respectively.

Chaos marred primaries in Nyeri but it was Governor Nderitu Gachagua who suffered the biggest blow. Gachagua’s rival camp led by former Mathira MP Ephraim Maina and entrepreneur Thuo Mathenge carried the day, getting to select allies to sit in the committee.

In Kirinyaga the allies of former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru bagged almost all the seats .

Former MP David Koech who was among the members of the secretariat who presided over the exercise said like Murang’a, leaders from Kirinyaga made history nationally for the peaceful polls.

However, a group allied to Governor Ndathi wants the polls nullified. Led by Mr Jeremiah Gateri, the group dismissed the polls which were held on Wednesday as null and void.
The group complained that members of the political parties which were dissolved to form the Jubilee political outfit during the delegates conference at Kasarani were not involved in the polls.

In Meru, the party is grappling with intense rivalry between Senator Kiraitu Murungi and Dr Kilemi Mwiria who are eyeing the governor’s seat on the party’s ticket. In Thursday’s elections at Thiiri Centre, Mr Murungi’s allies won the Jubilee elections. Some aspirants claimed the “Kikali” alliance involving Mr Murungi, Woman Representative Florence Kajuju and Igembe South Constituency MP Mithika Linturi rigged the vote.

In the end, the winners gave a stamp of approval while the losers claimed there was rigging with some threatening to defect even as the party now moves to consolidate its base ahead of yet another bruising battle of nominations.