Two politicians have been denied party tickets to run in the Kitui West MP March 26 by-election.
Ben Mbai of Jubilee and Mutiso Leli of Ford Kenya fell out with their parties’ top echelons. The parties are rooting for the widow of immediate former MP Francis Nyenze, Edith.
Nyenze died on December 6 after he developed pneumonia following a long fight with colon cancer.
Edith beat former minister Nyiva Mwendwa’s son Maluki Kitili last Tuesday to win the Wiper party ticket. She garnered 13,388 votes against Mwendwa’s 2,663. Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua’s Maendeleo Chap Chap has not fronted a candidate.
Mbai and Leli lost to Nyenze in the August 8 general election. Mbai early this month announced at a public rally that he would be on the ballot on March 26.
flat-footed
However last Friday’s announcement by Jubilee Party that it will not present a candidate appears to have caught him flat-footed. Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju announced that JP will back Edith’s candidature.
When contacted for comment yesterday Mbai said he was at the Jubilee headquarters in Nairobi to seek clarification. “Let me finish with Jubilee Party first. If I gave you any information now , it will not be conclusive,” he said on the phone.
Leli said the writing had been on the wall. Last week when he visited the Ford-K headquarters to collect his nomination certificate officials took him round in circles.
“When I realised that there was a sinister motive to deny me the nomination certificate, I joined Narc Kenya, which gave me a nomination certificate. I will be Narc-K’s candidate because of the frustrations I faced at Ford-K,” Leli said on the phone.
Kitui West IEBC returning officer James Mbai said at least six candidates have shown interest in running for election. The others are Hanningston Mbiti (independent), Dennis Mulwa (independent) and Kilonzi Ikonge
of CCU.