•The Youth leaders said it was ridiculous for some Jubilee legislators to fight the decison of the party's candidature.
•Uhuru and Ruto on September 20 assured Mariga of support in the forthcoming Kibra by-election.
Image: DOUGLAS OKIDDY
Jubilee Youth League have endorsed Jubilee Candidate McDonald Mariga’s in the Kibra by-election to be held on November 7.
In a statement on Saturday, they said they are obliged to support Jubilee's party decision pledging to conduct door-to-door campaigns for Mariga to ensure he wins.
"We are here to endorse the Jubilee Candidate McDonald Mariga .He was settled on by the set out jubilee mechanism and was flagged off by the party leader Uhuru Kenyatta and his DP William Ruto at statehouse,"the statement read.
The Youth leaders said it was ridiculous for some Jubilee legislators to fight the decison of the party.
"It is ridiculous to see political rejects and failures who are beneficiaries of the same party fighting the party decisions.This failures should be on the frontline supporting the party candidate instead of fighting him day and night."
They called for peaceful campaigns citing they do not support criminal gangs to intimidate candidates.
Uhuru and Ruto on September 20 assured Mariga of support in the forthcoming Kibra by-election.
They met the former Harambee Stars player at State House and vowed to fully rally behind him in the race.
The DP later took to twitter to urge Jubilee supporters to follow Uhuru's suit and support Mariga in the Kibra by-election.
Ruto said all those under the Jubilee party must come out in large numbers and drum up support for Mariga ahead of the November 7 contest.
"Now that Mariga Jubilee’s Kibra candidate was cleared by IEBC and formally unveiled today by our Party leader, it is all systems go. The ball is squarely in the court of all of us leaders serving under President Uhuru Kenyatta, party members and supporters to deliver the seat. Twende kazi jameni,” the tweet read.
Mariga has consequently faced backlash as the party's flag bearer from some jubilee legislators.
Youth and Gender Affairs CAS Rachael Shebesh on September 29 said President Uhuru Kenyatta did not endorse ex-footballer McDonald Mariga for Kibra MP.
In a widely circulated video clip, Shebesh was heard saying that Uhuru never endorsed Mariga for Kibra MP in the by-election.
She said a few individuals Jubilee fronting Mariga sneaked him through the backdoor into State House and forced Uhuru into accepting to pose for a photo with him.
Wajir Woman MP Fatuma Gedi on Monday challenged Jubilee's decision to crown former Harambee Stars player McDonald Mariga as their flag bearer for the Kibra by-election.
Mariga was vetted by National Elections Board at the party's headquarters on September 2.
"The Jubilee nominations were not democratic at all. We wanted a free and fair process. They should have allowed people to vote. ODM was more democratic,"Gedi said.