Wambura Wa Maranga, a Nyeri politician, has joined President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee party.
In the forthcoming elections, the 76-year-old tycoon is seeking the Mathira parliamentary seat, a move that will pit her against incumbent legislator Rigathi Gachagua, a once-loyal Jubilee member turned ally of Deputy President William Ruto.
On Friday, Jubilee Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni welcomed her and other Mathira delegates into the party.
Former Tetu MP Ndung’u Gethenji and Ol Kalou MP David Kiaraho have both joined Jubilee. Gethenji is running for re-election, whereas Kiaraho is defending his seat in the August elections.
Kanini Kega, the party’s Director of Elections, met with David Musila, a former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and a Kitui gubernatorial candidate, earlier on Friday.
Jubilee Party said in a tweeted on Friday:
“The Jubilee Party receives a delegation from Mathira Constituency led by Hon. Wambura Wa Maranga who is seeking the Mathira Constituency MP seat on a Jubilee ticket. Karibu Nyumbani!”
In 2017, Maranga stood as an independent candidate for the job, but was defeated by Gachagua. According to IEBC records, Gachagua received 52,757 votes to win the elections, while Maranga received 28,893 votes.
In 2017, Maranga stood as an independent candidate for the job, but was defeated by Gachagua. According to IEBC records, Gachagua received 52,757 votes to win the elections, while Maranga received 28,893 votes.
Maranga famously defeated Gachagua in Jubilee’s initial round of nominations, only to lose by 4,000 votes to DP Ruto’s ally when the primaries were rerun. She later filed a petition to overturn the findings, but it was unsuccessful.
“Kioni amesema ati kuna kitu kilifanyika 2017. Mimi siangalii nini kilitendeka lakini naangalia where we are going now and right now we are going to Mathira and we will use Jubilee,” she said.
“In 2017 we came here for a petition and we never came back again here but now that we are here, it is a sign that we have healed. Never again will Mathira be a hub of disgracing the office of the president.”
