Taita-Taveta governor John Mrutt has formally quit Opposition party ODM.
Speaking on Sunday, Mruttu announced his defection from the party, stating that he will be defending his seat as an independent candidate during the forthcoming general elections.
Mruttu cited frustrations within the outfit, observing that ODM appeared reluctant in conducting a repeat of the primaries as directed by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal.
“It was my wish that the elections which were supposed to be repeated in some parts of the constituency conducted, but since about 7000 electorates in the constituency have been denied their constitutional rights to nominate their leader, I have made a decision to defend my seat as per the people’s wish,” he noted.
“He who chases you away does not directly tell you to go, I saw the signs and decided to bolt out so that the party can settle on Mr Mwadeghu as it had preferred,” he added.
The governor lost the ODM Party ticket to his political nemesis and Wundanyi MP Thomas Mwadeghu who is seeking to unseat Mruttu.
Mwadeghu garnered 17,567 votes against Mr Mruttu’s 14,817.
Mruttu, however, contested the results, saying the exercise was marred by electoral malpractices.