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‘Jubilee overpromised and underdelivered’- Sifuna blasts Mt Kenya MPs threatening to ditch Azimio

Saturday, November 19th, 2022 15:24 | By
Sifuna
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna addressing a press conference in Kisii. PHOTO: ODM

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has clapped back at a section of Mount Kenya leaders in the Jubilee party who now claim that they are free to cut ties with Azimio supremo Raila Odinga since his political debt was fully settled during the August polls.

Led by Jubilee Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni, the leaders stated that they had played their part by delivering the agreed number of votes to Raila during the August 9th elections.

The leaders are reportedly warming up for President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza coalition, a move they term as beneficial for the progress of their region.

"The debt Raila wanted to be paid has been paid. For the first time, Raila got the highest number of votes in Mt. Kenya which he has never gotten and it's now time to move on," Kioni said.

He added: "When push comes to a shove, communities quickly run and rally together. What seems to prevail is loyalty to the community. the Writing is on the wall. It does not matter whether you are in UDA or whether you are in Kenya Kwanza,"

In a quick retort, Sifuna called out the Jubilee leaders stating that they overpromised and underdelivered during the election.

"True! Baba got 490k more votes in Mt. Kenya than in 2017. But the promise was 40% or 2.4m votes from the mountain. Jubilee overpromised and underdelivered whilst also extracting serious concessions including a Mt Kenya running mate, Nairobi Governor and over 50% of Govt. Msitubebe," he wrote.

Former Nyeri Town Member of Parliament (MP) Ngunjiri Wambugu, however, dismissed Sifuna's remarks stating that the former premier amassed more votes than him in his own constituency during that August 9th elections.

Ngunjiri noted that while Sifuna rode on Raila's back to win the Nairobi senatorial seat, he lost his re-election bid because of his association with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader.

"Someone tell Sifuna that Raila got more votes in Nyeri town than I did. He should also remember that his support for Raila enabled him to get elected; while my association with Raila ensured I did not get elected," Wambugu wrote on his official Facebook account.

Sidelining Mt Kenya

The latest concerns by the Jubilee leaders came barely a day after Nyeri County Governor Mutahi Kahiga claimed that there were people in President William Ruto's government who are out to sideline the Mt Kenya region.

During the swearing-in ceremony of the County Executive Committee members of his government in Nyeri, Kahiga said that they had witnessed the sidelining as people were playing political thuggery against them.

"Yesterday, we looked in depth at the happenings in Parliament during the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) nominees elections, and we saw what transpired. We want to say that we are going to walk together in this journey, and still, if we are not needed, we are not married to anyone who thinks that he can take us in rounds," Kahiga said.

Kahiga said that some people in the government were playing games on them and added that they will not allow anyone to undermine them as they will stand united.

"We agreed that we will walk together on this journey, but some people are trying to play dirty games. The marriage is still fresh and if we are not needed, we can walk out," he said.

Kahiga, the chairman of the Central Kenya Governors' forum, bringing together ten counties, said that despite the unity of purpose in supporting leaders from other regions, they will not allow someone to remote control politics in the region.

"Despite our unity with other regions, we want to say that others cannot remotely control us. We will remain united as leaders from this region," Kahiga said.

He said it is for that reason UDA legislators from the region decided to support Kanini Kega in his bid for EALA MP.

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