The endorsement of Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa for the Nairobi governorship race has divided Mt Kenya leaders.
Some MPs have out rightly rejected the move saying it spells doom to Jubilee.
MPs who spoke to The Standard on Saturday said the candidature for Nairobi governorship should be left to residents to decide instead of imposing a leader on them.
The endorsement of Mr Wamalwa by a section of Mt Kenya leaders has irked some Nairobi MPs who have accused their colleagues in Central of trying to interfere with the Nairobi politics.
It is believed that most Jubilee MPs in Nairobi support the candidature of Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru and are not happy with the entry of the CS.
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Mr Waweru has been preparing the ground in the city for the last two years and declared his interest last month in Embakasi.
Yesterday, Ruiru MP Esther Gathogo said the endorsement of Wamalwa by Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu and other lawmakers was not the stand of the Jubilee Party.
Ms Gathogo however said the CS’s entry in the governorship race will not divide Jubilee. “This business of politicians purporting to endorse others for various seats should stop. It is the people of Nairobi who will decide who will be their next governor. They should be left to make an informed decision without being influenced,” she said.
Gatundu North MP Kigo Njenga said the endorsement of Wamalwa would not only bring disunity in Jubilee but also among communities living in Nairobi.
“For heavens sake it is the Nairobi people who hold the key as to the person who will be their governor come August next year. Politicians should therefore desist from making a decision for city residents,” he said.
And Kieni MP Kanini Kega said the decision to back Wamalwa was meant to ensure the seat is clinched by Jubilee. “You cannot accuse us of being outsiders, Nairobi is for everyone. I spend five days in Nairobi and I’m therefore a resident. I believe it is through Wamalwa that we are going to win this seat,” Kega said.
Mr Waititu said Kiambu leaders have a lot of interest in Nairobi because over 300,000 people from the county work in the city. “We are investors in Nairobi and it is my deepest concern that we get the best leadership for the city,” he said.
He told critics that he vied for the seat and Governor Evans Kidero won by a mere 20,000 votes and Wamalwa’s candidature will cover that deficit. “We will ensure that Wamalwa gets the best running mate,” he added.
Those who endorsed the CS are MPs Kega, Waititu, Jude Njomo (Kiambu Town) and Mpuru Aburi (Tigania East).
But speaking in Kapsokwony yesterday, Ndhiwa MP Augustino Neto said Wamalwa’s entry into the race was meant to split CORD votes in the city.
