Uhuru, Ruto allies continue trading barbs after Muguga, Kiambaa mini polls
The outcome of last week's hotly contested Kiambaa parliamentary by elections where the ruling party Jubilee was floored by UDA was a moment of reality that the Jubilee's ship is at the verge of sinking.
The poll which was largely billed as a face off between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy Williams Ruto saw Njuguna Wanjiku beating Kariri Njama with a margin of 510 votes.
Wanjiku garnered 21 773 votes against Njama's 21,263 votes. With only 13 months before the 2022 General Elections, UDA's win in the Mt. Kenya region is a clear pointer of its unstoppable traction in the region which was formerly a jubilee voting bloc.
The party won despite jubilee's high powered team and thoroughly oiled onslaught of the party linked to DP Ruto, the team leaders warning voters to vote wisely and desist from voting for an outsider (read Ruto).
In what has emerged as a high octane succession politics, it is worth noting that out of the 8 by elections held in the past, jubilee has only managed to bag one with UDA and its affiliates bagging 6.
Ruto has won in Juja and Kiambaa both in Kiambu county, Gaturi ward in Murang'a, Lake view in Naivasha, London ward in Nakuru and Rurii in Nyandarua county while jubilee secured wins in Hells Gate Naivasha and now Muguga ward.
Speaking after the win, Jubilee MPs led by Kanini Kega pointed an accusing finger and the party Secretary General Rafael Tuju and Vice chair David Murathe whom he accused of failing to lead from the front.
The MP said that they had given the duo a one week ultimatum to resign voluntarily or risk being evicted from office.
"We never saw them on the ground during the campaign period. For us to move forward as a strong party, they have to quit so that we can inject a new blood of leadership", he said.
But in a bare knuckle duel, Jubilee legislators allied to the United Democratic Alliance told off their counterparts to sleep on the bed they made or opt joining UDA.
They said that the ruling party has since died after majority of it's diehards bolted out from it and joined UDA and that the remaining few have been 'swallowed' by ODM leaving it's as a shell.
The legislators who spoke during a 'thank you' whirlwind road show across the constituency accompanying the MP-elect said that the Kiambaa win 2as the beginning of the end of their trials and tribulations in Jubilee party.
Gachagua said that the Kiambaa by-election was a titanic do or die political battle for both UDA and jubilee adding that its outcome dictated which party will call the shots in Mt.Kenya region during the 2022.
" We have made a conscious decision join UDA in droves and we no longer subscribe to jubilee ideologies. For the avoidance of doubt, we are not interested in the affairs of the jubilee government because our eyes are focused on the 2022 polls." The outspoken MP further said, "We have even told our leader, Deputy President William Ruto to forget about jubilee because the ruling party has been eclipsed by ODM with the government being ran by President Uhuru, Raila Odinga and Matiangi".
He regretted that the DP was unceremoniously stripped off his executive duties which were handed over to Interior CS Fred Matian'gi in unclear circumstances.
"The rain started beating Jubilee when Raila Odinga was embraced by Uhuru thereby edging out Tuto despite our warnings that he (Raila) would wreck the formerly formidable party.
"Ruto no longer have power in government in terms of executive power but he is very powerful in terms of political support", he said adding that if all the prevailing political factors remains constant, the DP will be elected President in 2022.
He was echoed by Ndindi Nyoro who said that the Jubilee political party is 'as dead as a dodo' adding that those still clinging into it are either ignorant or blindfolded.
"Majority of jubilee legislators are now wearing yellow. An eggs york (yellow) is what matters and we have left them with the shell to rebrand", he said," he politician added.
"They can do whatever they want to do with the party which is now history in our minds because we have moved on, never to return to Misri. Senator Irungu Kanga'ta said that the United Democratic Alliance party holds the future of the country and advised those who want to be politically relevant in future to join the same.
"UDA is the hustlers movement party which seeks to address the plights of the mostly ignored and downtrodden common man and it's unstoppable," he said.
Ichung'wa reiterated that jubilee is a thankless party which should be erased from the books of political history of this country.
'We woke up very early to elect jubilee leaders but it has since turned out to be out tormentor. It has made us cry yet we supported it overwhelming,' said he adding that Ruto's detractors should take note that there's an uncontrollably fierce Tsunami blowing in the country.
He said that the UDA candidate deserved the win owing to the fact that he symbolizes the true meaning of a hustler because he hails from a very humble background besides being brought up by a single mother. 'Our candidate used to roast chicken intestines, legs and heads at Banana shopping center to get school fees.
He is the true image of a hustler because he supported her mother who managed to pay school fees for him,' he said. The Kiambaa seat fell vacant in March this year following the death of area MP Paul Koinange who succumbed to Covid-19 related complications
