• Drives aimed at popularising the party that nearly collapsed and neutralisING DP Ruto's President William Ruto's support in the county.
•The leaders wooed aspirants to consider running on the Jubilee ticket.
Image: ALICE WAITHERA
Jubilee-allied leaders re trying to popularise the party in Murag'a ahead of President Uhuru Kenyatta's Sagana III conference on Wednesday.
The leaders include former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, Nominated MP Maina Kamanda, Wangari Mwaniki (Kigumo), Nduati Ngugi (Gatanga), Peter Kimari (Mathioya), Jeremiah Kioni (Ndaragwa) and former Murang’a Senator Kembo Gitura.
The leaders crisscrossed Mathioya, Kangema, Kigumo and Kandara constituencies meeting opinion-shapers and lobbying for support for the party and its leader. President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Two weeks ago, the leaders held similar meetings and are expected to visit Kandara and Kiharu constituencies led by UDA MPs Alice Wahome and Ndindi Nyoro on Thursday.
The drives seek to use opinion-shapers to sway residents into the party and become ambassadors during campaigns.
This is seen as a move to neutralise the support Deputy president William William Ruto has enjoyed from the county for the last several years ahead of the National Delegates Conference that the party is to hold before end-month.
Kenneth appealed to aspirants to consider running for election through the ruling party to strengthen it.
“You cannot leave a big party for a small party and if defeated in nominations, support the person who wins. If they don’t vote for you during nominations they will still not vote for you if you join another party,” Kenneth said.
The former MP who is being touted by some to be ODM leader Raila Odinga’s running mate said. He said the influence of the Jubilee Party cannot be dismissed in the Central region as its leader is the President.
He hit out at Ruto for disrespecting the President while in other regions he outlining the achievements of the Jubilee government when he is in the Central
“He has been lying to you and when he insults the President, he insults each one of us who voted for him,” he said.
He appealed to locals to make wise political decisions saying the region cannot afford to vote in leaders who may repress its economic prosperity.
Image: ALIE WAITHERA
Kamanda lobbied for Raila saying the only reason the community fought him politically was because he vied against presidential candidates from the region.
He said the President's aim in supporting Raila is to ensure the region will be represented in the next government and not in the opposition.
The MP said though a section of locals was cautious of publicly endorsing Raila at first, Murang’a people are not political cowards and do not back off.
“We want to build the Jubilee party and then partner with others to ensure we are part of the next government,” he added.
Mwaniki hailed the President for leading the country at a time when the country was going through terror attacks and difficult financial times.
She asked locals to rally behind Raila saying he already enjoys massive support from other parts of the country.
The MP said even without the support of the Central region, Raila has a high chance of winning considering the margin of votes that led to his defeat in 2017.
“Central votes cannot keep Raila away from State House so why not just support him? This is why we are sending you out to ask people to support the Jubilee Party because even as we work with others, we need our own house to be in-order,” she said.
Nduati said having a powerful party helps a region to have negotiating powers and lobby for development projects.
He gave the example of ODM that he said has 68 MPs who are able to push for the interests of their communities.
“Even Musalia Mudavadi with his ANC party and Moses Wetang'ula with Ford Kenya have been NASA principals just because they have formidable parties,” he said.
He said coming together in one party is the only way that the Central region can move forward.
Kimari said not having one political vehicle would weaken and spell doom to the region.
He said the region’s strength in the next government will be determined by the number of votes and elected leaders it delivers.
The MP said there is need for the region to retain its political identity even as it partners with other parties.
Kangema MP Muturi Kigano appealed to locals to vote in leaders high quality leaders to represent them nationally.
Other regions elect first grade leaders who are well learned but here we just elect anybody who vies. This is why vital laws like coffee and tea laws stagnate in parliament,” he said.
(Edited by V. Graham)