Circumstances that led to President Uhuru Kenyatta-led Jubilee Party to land on McDonald Mariga Wanyama as its preferred candidate in Kibra by-elections has continued to stir different reactions among Kenyans.
Mariga on Monday evening was announced as Jubilee’s candidate, which the party through its NEB chairman Andrew Musangi said the decision was reached after a detailed interview.
The party initially had 16 candidates who presented them at the headquarters in Pangani, Nairobi for the interviews.
Besides Mariga, Morris Kinyanjui, Walter Trenk, Ibrahim Said, Doreen Wasike, Oscar Kambona, Bukachi Chapia, Jane Githaiga, Jack Owino, Elli Rajab and Daniel Aden were interviewed.
Others were Daniel Orogo, Ramadhan Hussein, Frank Amollo, Timothy Kaimenyi and Geoffrey Mwangu were interviewed.
However, accusations have now come out that Deputy President Dr William Ruto rigged in Mariga. Gabriel Oguda, a renown columnist says Doreen Wasike who was the Jubilee candidate in 2017, coming 2nd behind Ken Okoth was rigged in favour of Mariga.
The columnist has also accused Ruto of rigging in Mariga “simply because Mariga represents Ruto’s betting firm.”
“Doreen Wasike was the Jubilee candidate in 2017, coming 2nd behind Ken Okoth. She presented herself for vetting today, but Ruto rigged in MacDonald Mariga who has no political clout, simply because Mariga represents Ruto’s betting firm. You now know who’s been fighting women,” tweeted Gabriel Oguda.
Mariga will face ANC’s Eliud Owalo, Ford Kenya’s Khamisi Butichi and an ODM candidate. The Orange party will hold its nomination on Saturday.
The seat fell vacant following the demise of Ken Okoth who succumbed to cancer in July.
