President Uhuru Kenyatta has not been keen on the Kibra parliamentary by-election, Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu has said.
The vocal MP downplayed Wednesday's endorsement of Jubilee Party candidate McDonald Mariga, saying Uhuru did so after he was pushed to the corner by Deputy President William Ruto and Nairobi MPs allied to Tanga Tanga faction.
“We need to know that the Jubilee party, although it has two political factions, has one party leader, who is Kenyatta,” he said as quoted by Saturday Nation.
“Tanga Tanga had their candidate unveiled by the party leader and that’s why only leaders affiliated to the faction were present during the ceremony at State House," Wambugu added.
Wambugu, who is allied to anti-Ruto Kieleweke group, said Nairobi MPs were concerned that if Jubilee was to snub Kibra by-election, Jubilee's popularity in the populous county would have gone down.
“The issue about Kibra is also about Nairobi politics. Jubilee MPs in Nairobi, most of whom are from Tangatanga, felt that failing to field a candidate in Kibra especially after pulling out of Embakasi South would send a wrong message to supporters,” he said.
City MPs who were present when Mariga met Uhuru were; Nixon Korir (Langata), John Kiarie (Dagoretti South), Benjamin Mwangi (Embakasi Central), James Gakuya (Embakasi North) and Starehe's Charles Njagua.
The two who were absent; Mercy Gakuya (Kasarani) and her Roysambu counterpart Waihenya Ndirangu are allied to Kieleweke faction.