Deputy President William Ruto, on Friday, made a statement in regards to the Kibra campaigns for Macdonald Mariga as the campaigns intensify.
Ruto held a meeting with all grassroot Jubilee delegates from Kibra constituency and elected leaders form Nairobi County at his Karen residence.
The DP stated that the purpose of the meeting was to offer support for Mariga ahead of the contest that pits him against his most fiercest rivals, ODM candidate Imran Okoth, and ANC candidate, Eliud Owalo.
“Hosted a delegation of grassroot leaders from Kibra constituency and elected leaders in Nairobi county to drum up support for the Jubilee candidate McDonald Mariga, Karen Residence,” remarked Ruto.
The showing by the tough-talking Ruto was interpreted as a message to the Jubilee members who had decided to offer support to Imran.
Mariga and Ruto have suffered resistance from within the party in the last month after several members publicly announced their disappointment with the former Inter midfielder’s decision.
Nominated MP Maina Kamanda was the first to throw his weight behind the late Ken Okoth’s brother after holding a closed door meeting with ODM leader Raila Odinga.
According to Kamanda, he termed Imran the ‘handshake’ candidate in respect to the agreement made by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga in 2018.
Former Nairobi County Assembly Speaker, Beatrice Elachi, followed suit and supported the veteran politician in endorsing the ODM candidate.
Elachi proclaimed that the move by the ruling party was meant to hinder the progress that had been made by Ken, who died after a long battle with cancer.
The next Jubilee member to be roped into the bandwagon was Wajir Woman Representative, Fatuma Gedi, who reiterated that Mariga had done nothing for the people of Kibra before deciding to vie for the position.
Vocal Kiambu Woman Rep, Gathoni Wamuchomba, joined the lot when she referred to the former Harambee Stars captain as a foreigner due to his constant ins and outs from the country.
More misery was piled upon the Jubilee Kibra candidate when the youth wing from the Uhuru-led party opted to support Imran.
The youth alleged that Mariga had been forced down the throats of the party members and hence, they would not back him.