The Jubilee Party has announced it will not field a candidate in the Msambweni by-election.
The seat was left vacant following the death of ODM MP Suleiman Dori. – By Enock Mukoma
Jubilee said with its recent cooperation with ODM, it saw it fit not to field a candidate.
“With the unprecedented corporation between Jubilee and ODM in the parliament in the recent past on matter of national importance and given that is was an ODM seat, the decision has been made that Jubilee will not field a candidate in the interest of the bigger picture,” read a statement from the ruling party and signed by Mr. Tuju.
The Jubilee secretary general further indicated that the country has issues to deal with, that require sobriety.
“The country has very serious constitutional matters to deal with that will require sobriety and reaching across the political divides in order to navigate our beloved country across some of these challenges,” Tuju said.
The decision comes two days after Chief Justice David Maraga’s advisory to the president to dissolve parliament, which Mr Tuju cited in the statement.
Barely an hour after Mr Tuju made the announcement, Deputy President William Ruto drove to the party’s Ngara headquarters for a meeting with Mr Tuju and he is expected to address the media.
The move by SG may not auger well with the DP and his allies as the contest is a precursor to the Ruto-Raila coastal strength.
In a rejoinder, deputy party secretary-general, Caleb Kositany tweeted in contrast to SG statement.
’In consultation with who, we shall revisit”, Caleb Kositany said.
IEBC has set December 15 as the election date after the initially intended June by-election that was halted with the unprecedented effects of Covid-19.
Area residents had threatened of mass action if IEBC could not hold the election.
The Msambweni seat fell vacant after the death of area MP Suleiman Dori
