Aspirants criticise Jubilee decision to withdraw from races

Evans Makokha who wanted to fly Jubilee ticket in Kabuchai by-election. He said he had fulfilled the party requirements before being told to withdraw from the race. [Natha Ochunge, Standard]

Jubilee candidates for Matungu and Kabuchai parliamentary by-elections are crying foul over the party's last-minute decision not to field candidates. 

Last week, Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju announced that the party would let Amani National Congress (ANC) and Ford Kenya field candidates in Matungu, Kabuchai and Machakos senatorial seat in the spirit of the handshake.

Tuju said the vacant parliamentary seats were previously held by Ford Kenya and ANC, parties that are friendly to the ruling party.

ANC has cleared Peter Nabulindo as the party's flag-bearer in Matungu while Ford Kenya is fronting Majimbo Kalasinga in Kabuchai. 

Evans Makokha said he had fulfilled the party requirements, including paying mandatory nomination fee.

“I wasn’t consulted. This raises questions on the kind of democracy in our party, Jubilee. I was prepared to hit the campaign trail only to see officials announcing that the party would not be fielding a candidate in Kabuchai,” he told journalists in Bungoma yesterday.

He said he had received a call from Tuju instructing him to withdraw from the race the day he was attending an Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission meeting together with rival candidates.

Raphael Welimo, who was the Jubilee candidate for Matungu, has expressed dissatisfaction over the move to withdraw his candidature.

"The party elections board made the decision not to field candidates in Kabuchai, Matungu and Machakos without consulting us," said Welimo.

But Welimo appears to have accepted his party's decision and moved on.

"It is a party decision and I will abide by it because I am one of the Jubilee officials in this region," said Welimo in a telephone interview yesterday