Wajir Woman Representative Fatuma Gedi has faulted the ruling Jubilee party for fielding a candidate in the Kibra parliamentary by-election.
The party has since approved footballer McDonald Mariga to go for the seat, in a region considered a stronghold of opposition's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.
Speaking on Tuesday, Gedi questioned the move, considering the party has not been fielding candidates in regions considered ODM bedrocks since President Uhuru Kenyatta's 2018 truce with ODM boss Raila Odinga.
She sided with Nominated MP Maina Kamanda who last week openly declared support for ODM's Imran Okoth.
"In other by-elections, in ODM perceived strongholds, Jubilee did not field candidates. Why are we fielding a candidate in Kibra? As a Jubilee member, I feel Maina Kamanda made the right move," she said.
However, in a quick rejoinder, Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo, who is also a Jubilee member, lauded the move, saying the handshake was not meant to incapacitate Jubilee.
She echoed Deputy President William Ruto's remarks that the party's decisions on such matters cannot be questioned on the basis of the handshake.
"DP Ruto is saying that Jubilee has a candidate for the Kibra by-election. Handshake does not mean we should follow another party’s manifesto," she said.
The leaders spoke on Citizen TV's Daybreak show on Tuesday morning.