Jubilee MP dares Tuju to discipline Kamanda over Kibra by-election

Raila Odinga (center) looks on as Nominated MP Maina Kamanda (right) shakes hand with ODM candidate Bernard Imran Okoth after a press briefing at ODM offices in Capitol Hill on September 19, 2019. [David Gichuru, Standard]

Nominated MP Maina Kamanda could be reprimanded by the Jubilee Party for endorsing ODM’s Imran Okoth for the Kibra poll.

Yesterday, Jubilee’s Secretary General Raphael Tuju said he was consulting the party’s disciplinary committee to know what action will be taken against the MP for backing ODM’s Okoth despite his party fielding former footballer McDonald Mariga for the poll.

“The provision says nobody should support another candidate if the party has its own. I’m consulting with the party disciplinary committee to know the way forward,” Tuju told Saturday Standard.

Nyeri MP Ngunjiri Wambugu has, however, dared the party to reprimand Kamanda, saying applying such a move would be double standards.

“There are people who have been defying the party leadership. If we are supposed to follow our party leader, then why are those against him and the handshake not reprimanded?” said Wambugu.

According to Wambugu, Kamanda had explained that his decision to support Imran was to ensure there will be no violence in Kibra.

“Kamanda is there to ensure there is no confrontation during the by-election. We in Kieleweke feel that Tangatanga would love to have a confrontation so that they can argue that the handshake is not real,” Wambugu said.    

Kamanda’s decision to back Okoth came a day after Jubilee Party leader Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto endorsed Mariga for the November 7 by-election. The move caught Jubilee Party by surprise and raises questions over the backing that Mariga has within his own party.

On Thursday, Kamanda publicly endorsed Okoth, a move he said was a personal choice in the spirit of the March 9 handshake between Uhuru and ODM chief Raila Odinga.

Tuju said Kamanda’s decision to support ODM’s candidate will by no means affect the party or the campaigns.

“Jubilee is as competitive as it was in Lang’ata. It was not our stronghold but we captured it. Now we are focused on our candidate,” he said.

Cherang’any MP Joshua Kutuny said Mariga’s candidature is illegitimate since his nomination did not follow the right procedure.