Sonko and camp win most city Jubilee Party tickets

Nairobi Woman Rep Racheal Shebesh’s supporters celebrate her victory in Nairobi. [Jenipher Wachie, Standard]

Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko was Friday swimming in glory, not only because he clinched the Jubilee ticket to run for city governor, but also because most of his allies triumphed.

Sonko beat his rival Peter Kenneth and will now seek to unseat Governor Evans Kidero of the National Super Alliance (NASA) in the August 8 General Election.

And as Sonko celebrated, most Nairobi MPs who had opposed his candidature were floored in the Jubilee primaries, as those who ran under ‘Team Nairobi’ were basking in victory.

From Kenneth’s camp, only Starehe’s Maina Kamanda and Woman Rep Rachael Shebesh secured the JP tickets to defend their seats. However, Kamanda’s victory is being contested by musician Charles Kanyi, alias Jaguar, who has petitioned the party’s tribunal. Notable victories in the ‘Team Nairobi’ include that in Kamkunji where former MP Simon Mbugua trounced incumbent Yusuf Hassan by garnering 16,720 votes against the latter’s 9,120.

Friday Hassan cried foul, claiming he had been rigged out as his supporters jammed JP headquarters to vent their anger. Kamkunji and Starehe issues are among the 43 petitions the party had received.

Embakasi West MP George Theuri, who also identified with Sonko’s team, was the other lucky incumbent to win the Jubilee Party ticket.

Incumbents John Njoroge (Kasarani), James Gakuya (Embakasi North) and John Ndirangu (Embakasi Central) were floored. The three were among those who had teamed up to campaign for Kenneth. Francis Mureithi clinched JP ticket to vie for Embakasi East seat. Although Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru had identified with Sonko’steam, he lost to former comedian John Kiarie, alias KJ.