Jubilee Party leader President Uhuru Kenyatta at a past function at Bomas of Kenya [Photo/nation.co.ke]
President Uhuru Kenyatta has been urged not to endorse any candidate in the Mount Kenya region as he kicks off his tour of the region on Wednesday.
Othaya Member of Parliament Mary Wambui said the Head of State will divide his supporters if he decides to campaign for Jubilee Party candidates.
“We have candidates vying on other parties and some vying on independent tickets. All of them are supporting and campaigning for Uhuru’s re-election. The President should only call for mass voter turn-out in August. He should keep off local politics,” Wambui who is not defending her seat said on Tuesday.
The same sentiments were echoed by former Inooro FM radio presenter and Murang’a County Women Representative seat hopeful Waithera Muitherania.
“The President need not to ignore other candidates running on other Jubilee friendly parties and independently. In fact he should encourage political competition in his backyard since all candidates will attract voters to the ballot box during the polls,” Muitherania stated.
However, Jubilee candidates from the region insisted that President Kenyatta, who is their party leader, should rally behind them for him to have numbers in both the National Assembly and Senate.
“We expect Uhuru to repeat the call he made in Kiambu; vouch for six-piece voting of Jubilee candidates,” Said Kiharu MP Irungu Kang’ata.
The first time lawmaker will be facing the Senate Deputy Speaker Kembi Gitura- an independent candidate- in Murang’a senatorial race.
President Kenyatta is expected to tour Murang’a, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Embu, Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties starting Wednesday.