I'm not a coward, Justina Wamae says on her public fallout with Wajackoyah

Roots party leader George Wajackoyah and his runningmate Justina Wamae. [File, Standard]

The camaraderie that George Wajackoyah and his running mate Justina Wamae enjoyed in the run-up to August 9, 2022, presidential election has faded.

Both are looking in opposite directions, with Wajackoyah, who is the leader of the Roots Party, accusing his assistant of sabotaging the party.

Wamae has since congratulated President-elect William Ruto, saying she extended her well wishes to Ruto because he won the presidential election fair and square.

The Roots Party duo came a distant third in the presidential election getting 61,969 votes (0.04 per cent) against the winner Ruto's 7.18 million and first runner-up Raila Odinga's 6.94 million.

While Wajackoyah was perceived to be inclined more towards Raila Odinga's Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya faction, his assistant, Wamae, said her support of a leading presidential candidate would be different from Wajackoyah's.

In an August 19 tweet, Wamae congratulated Ruto on his victory in the presidential election, sparking a reaction from the Roots Party leadership. The political outfit has since summoned Wamae, accusing her of contravening Roots Party's Constitution by furthering the ideals of a rival party.

Wamae says she will face the Roots Party disciplinary committee once the summon date is set.

"I'm not a coward. I won't resign from the party. I'm ready to face the disciplinary panel," she told The Standard.

On whether she fears being expelled from the party, Wamae said: "Based on George Wajackoyah's letter addressed to me, and shared on Roots Party's social media pages, it appears he owns the party. Whatever he decides to do, I'll honour his decision," she said.

She defended her congratulatory message to Ruto, saying Roots Party had accepted the outcome of the elections after ascertaining that the electoral process was free and fair.

"When we were at Bomas of Kenya on August 15 during the presidential results declaration, my party leader and I agreed that the election was free and fair. And this was because all our agents had signed Form 34C, which IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati used to announce the results. It's contradictory when he says the party holds an alternative view on the status of the declared presidential results," said Wamae.

One week to the August 9 presidential polls, Wajackoyah, while on the campaign trail in Kisumu, appeared to endorse Raila Odinga's presidential candidature. He, however, later denied the claims.

"The Roots Party disciplinary committee did not summon Wajackoyah when he appeared to endorse an Odinga candidature. It was at that point that Kenyans started branding Wajackoyah and I as State projects," she said.

In case Ruto is sworn in as president, Wamae says she will apply for available jobs that fit her profile.

"I'm passionate about public service. Whoever is confirmed as the president, I'm looking forward to working with him," she said.