Boost for Nyenze's wife as Wiper opponent, Jubilee endorse her bid

From left, Agatha Solitei,Vice-chairman wiper election board present a certificate to Kitu west Wiper candidate Edith Nyenze while Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka(Right)congratulates her at Wiper party headquarter office in Lavington on 20th January 2017,She was cleared to contest in parliamentary by-election.[Edward Kiplimo,Standard]

Edith Nyenze’s bid to replace her late husband Francis Nyenze as the Kitui West MP is as good as done after she received backing from rivals.

Jubilee Party secretary-general Raphael Tuju in a statement on Friday said they will not field a candidate in the race but will back Mrs Nyenze after she bagged the Wiper ticket in free and fair nominations.

This may not have come as a surprise since the late Francis Nyenze openly spoke highly of Jubilee and President Uhuru Kenyatta during campaigns in the run up to the August 8 General Election last year.

“It is therefore appropriate and compassionate that the widow be given a chance by the people of Kitui West to implement the development agenda championed by her late husband who was a leader of national repute, if that is their wish” said Mr Tuju.

At the same time, the widow’s sole rival in the Wiper Party primaries, Maluki Mwendwa, a son of Kenya’s first African Chief Justice Kitili Mwendwa, threw his weight behind her candidature.

“I congratulate my former opponent for her well-earned victory at the party primaries. For the short time we campaigned, at no time did she ever get personal or abusive. I want to assure her that she has my full support,” said Mr Mwendwa at the Wiper headquarters.

Yesterday, Wiper boss Kalonzo Musyoka welcomed the endorsement of Mrs Nyenze by Jubilee, but was quick to add that the decision must have been informed by the realisation by the ruling party that their aspirant would suffer a humiliating defeat.

“We welcome the decision by Jubilee to withdraw from the race, although we did not really need them to do so. They obviously sensed defeat after realising that Edith is a strong candidate and she will get an overwhelming win,” said Mr Kalonzo in Nairobi when he presented a nomination certificate to Mrs Nyenze.

During the nominations, Mrs Nyenze garnered 13,388 votes against Mwendwa’s 2,663 votes, to clinch the Wiper ticket to vie in the by-election scheduled for March 26.

“I am happy for the confidence my former opponent has shown in my leadership. We will work together closely to deliver the seat and change the lives of the people of Kitui West,” said Mrs Nyenze.

Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua said the move by Jubilee not to participate in the elections should not be misconstrued to mean that the two parties are working together. He maintained that Jubilee and Wiper have no association.

“We are in competition. They must have carefully weighed their chances and good sense prevailed, after sensing that their candidate will have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning the Kitui West parliamentary seat,” said the senator.

Kalonzo and Wambua appealed to other aspirants to drop their bids and support the Wiper candidate, as an honour to the late MP.

“I am appealing to those interested in the seat to back Edith because she will clearly emerge the winner.

“There is no need for other candidates to waste their resources. Having her declared a winner unopposed will be the best way to honour her late husband,” said the Wiper leader.