Why Jamleck Kamau dropped his bid for Murang’a top seat

Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau. (Photo: Boniface Okendo, Standard)

Senior Jubilee Party officials close to the presidency have rallied Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau not to contest the Murang'a governor's seat, The Standard has learned.

This came after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal ordered a repeat of the party nominations within 48 hours.

One hour after the ruling, Mr Kamau declared in a press conference in Nairobi that he would not participate in the repeat nominations.

The MP had sought to stop Jubilee from presenting Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria as the nominee for the August 8 elections.

Kamau accused Mr Iria and Jubilee Party of election malpractices on April 25 and 26, noting that the register of voters used was not legitimate and that some people had voted several times.

Kamau said it was not possible that Murang'a County, which had only 119,836 duly registered Jubilee Party members, could entertain an election where the incumbent had 203,941 votes.

But Iria, through his lawyer Ng'ang'a Mbugua, claimed the issue of the voters' register was not part of the complaints in the original petition to the Jubilee Appeals Tribunal.

It emerged that the ruling by the political parties tribunal could set a precedence and open up a Pandora's box; this is what led to the intervention by the senior party members.

"President Uhuru Kenyatta was briefed about the ruling and the ramifications it could have on the party's nominations, and it was agreed that Kamau should be convinced to drop his bid. The ruling could have overturned many other primaries across the country," said a senior party official who sought anonymity.