Just moments after Jubilee’s candidate to Kibra by-elections Macdonald Mariga was cleared to vie by the elections body, IEBC, Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu has expressed his dissatisfactions.
Taking to his social media accounts, Wambugu who is a fierce critic of Mariga’s alleged master Dr. William Ruto took swipes with the former footballer’s actual age.
Wambugu wondered why Jubilee as a party had decided to give Mariga a go-ahead despite disparities surrounding his age.
According to Wambugu, Mariga had forged his age to look younger in order to play international football.
“IEBC has cleared Macdonald Mariga to run as the Jubilee candidate in Kibra. That’s all well and good. What I have a problem with is more fundamental. Did Mariga lie about his age on his ID?” read part of his Facebook statement.
DID MARIGA FORGE HIS AGE DETAILS?
I think my party @JubileePartyK needs to confirm whether Mariga did forge his age details.
If he did we cannot honestly support his candidature. It will cost our country too much in the long run – whether he loses or wins. pic.twitter.com/BXsz1YumU7
— Hon Ngunjiri Wambugu (@ngunjiriwambugu) September 16, 2019
Wambugu warned that the act depicted by Jubilee party (government) and the elections body IEBC was likely to affect the legitimacy of the country’s identification documents.
He opined that with such trend of forging Nationa Identity cards, other fields and in specific the sports were going to be affected since most of the Kenyan sportsmen will take the advantage to lie on the same.
Ngunjiri urged his Jubilee party to come out clear on the matter adding that if indeed the footballer forged his age, they were not going to support him.
NGUNJIRI WAMBUGU
DID MARIGA FORGE HIS AGE DETAILS?
IEBC has cleared Macdonald Mariga to run as the Jubilee candidate in Kibra. That’s all well and good. What I have a problem with is more fundamental. Did Mariga lie about his age on his ID?
If he did – why would we as the party running the government, endorse him to be a lawmaker? What are the repercussions of such a decision now appearing to be officially endorsed by ‘government’? Does it provide an opportunity for anyone to query other IDs used by Kenyan sportsmen – outside the country?
Eg; how can we conclusively fight back allegations that a Kenya who wins an under-20 international race is actually under 20, if we are endorsing someone who forged the national ID, to play international football – and are now okay with them becoming a lawmaker?
What are we telling the world about the legitimacy of our government identification documents?
I think my party needs to confirm whether Mariga did forge his age details. If he did we cannot honestly support his candidature. It will cost our country too much in the long run – whether he loses or wins.
END
However, while reacting to IEBC’s verdict, Macdonald Mariga promised to carry on with his campaigns adding that he had forgiven all those who had talked ill about his candidature.
Mariga: Nawasamehe wote walioongea mabaya kunihusu, nawaachia watu wa Kibra uamuzi.#LeoMashinani @KTNNewsKE pic.twitter.com/YAwRM9pRbw
— ktn (@KTNKenya) September 16, 2019
Kibra’s November 7 by-election is expected to bring together two political heavyweights, Raila Odinga and William Ruto who are expected to battle it out in 2022.
Political analysts opine that William Ruto fronted Mariga as a ‘litmus paper’ in a bid to test Raila’s influence in one of the regions considered as ODM’s stronghold.
On the other hand, Raila Odinga will be trying to prove his dominance in a constituency he once represented in parliament.
Raila will also be keen not to repeat the same mistakes which led to ODM losing both seats in Ugenya and Embakasi South by-elections.