President Uhuru Kenyatta warns warring Nairobi Jubilee politicians that they risk losing

President Uhuru Kenyatta (left), on arrival at Thika Greens Hotel in Murang'a County on January 19, 2017, where he embarked on the tour to champion voter registration in Central Region. On left is Murang’a gubernatorial aspirant Jamleck Kamau (black suit) and Nairobi gubernatorial aspirant Peter Kenneth (second left). PHOTO:KIBATA KIHU/STANDARD

President Uhuru Kenyatta has moved to quell the infighting between two camps fighting for Jubilee's gubernatorial ticket for Nairobi, warning that the vicious attacks by the leaders could cost the party the seat.
Uhuru told the Jubilee leaders who have in the recent days been tearing at each other in their fight for supremacy in the city politics that they both risked ending up losing if they divide the Jubilee's political base.

The President lashed at the two groups - one led by Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko and comprising three other aspirants, Margaret Wanjiru, Dennis Waweru and Johnson Sakaja and the other one led by former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth and bringing together several city MPs – telling them that unless they united and presented only one candidate, they would lose the seat.

"They should look at what happened in 2013. Or have they forgotten? We lost the seat because the two candidates who were in our camp could not agree on fronting one of them. They ended up dividing the vote, granting the advantage to our opponents," said Uhuru.

The Head of State was speaking on a live vernacular show, on Kameme FM, where he rallied Central Kenya residents to register as voters to ensure that they took part in the August 8 General Elections.

The President, who has in the past indicated his administration's desire to take wrestle the governorship of Nairobi from the grips of CORD, warned that the plan could be thwarted if the leaders continued their infighting and end up dividing the Jubilee support base.

"These leaders must look at the bigger picture and the suffering that the residents of Nairobi are going through. The business community in the capital are suffering and are already burdened. These leaders need to find a way of working together. I have repeatedly told them that," Uhuru said.

Sonko and his team have mounted a vicious campaign against Kenneth, who only late last year joined Jubilee before announcing his candidature for the Nairobi seat.

The team has branded the former Gatanga legislator, who also contested the presidency in the last elections, an outsider, a tag that Kenneth has fought, insisting that none of those calling him so has lived in Nairobi longer than him, as he was born and bred in the city.

The President fears that the contest could end up as did in 2013 when Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu, who was then eyeing the gubernatorial position, went head to head with investor Jimnah Mbaru for the then TNA ticket, before the latter changed his party after the nominations.

The two candidates, both of who were supporting Uhuru for President lost the seat to ODM's Dr Evans Kidero, a situation that the President appeared to rue.

"We lost this seat in a similar fashion. And that is why I am insisting that despite the competition, they must eventually come together and support one of them if we are to win it this time round," said Uhuru.