Musila has not quit Wiper, says campaign team

Kitui governor hopeful David Musila’s campaign team has denied media reports he has quit Wiper. 

“The story published by the Star on Monday regarding Musila having ditched Wiper party is not true and is a misquotation,” chairman Paul Kitungu told the Star on Monday.

He said it was Musila's followers who took the microphone and one after another asked the candidate to contest as an independent should the going get tough at Wiper.

The aspirants spoke on Saturday during Musila's manifesto launch at Musila gardens, Mwingi town.

“The head line, 'Musila ditches Wiper again to run as independent in Kitui', is not only a falsehood but also a misrepresentation of the facts.

"Musila is in Wiper and never at any one time during his launch did he announce that he had ditched the party,” Kitungu said.

Kitungu sought to put the record straight saying Musila’s love and affinity to Wiper party was not questionable as he was a founder member.

Musila founded the party alongside Kalonzo Musyoka, former Machakos senator Johnstone Muthama and Mutula Kilonzo senior.

The chairman said only the crowd asked Musila to go independent.

He further said when Musila mended fences with Kalonzo resulting to his return to Wiper after he quit in 2017, Kalonzo promised to hand him the ticket to fly the party's flag in this year’s Kitui gubernatorial race.

Kitungu said the only misgiving was that Musila had sensed there are some people within and without Wiper who have been planning to deny him the ticket.

He said the fears are based on the shenanigan's witnessed in the Wiper nominations in 2017

"It was at that point that he asked his followers what they thought and they strongly advised he should go independent,” he said.

The chairman said within one week Musila shall announce his position on the party issue.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)