Jubilee and UDA supporters outside Karuri Primary School, Kiambu, on July 11, 2021. [Martin Mukangu, Standard]
Jubilee and UDA candidates made final pitches on the last day of campaigns in Kiambaa Constituency and Muguga Ward ahead of Thursday’s by-elections.
Kariri Njama, of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party, and John Njuguna Wanjiku, of Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance, staged massive rallies for the polls in the Kiambaa parliamentary seat left vacant by the death of Paul Njoroge Koinange.
The contest has been billed as a battle of titans, which could also determine the political influence of President Kenyatta and his deputy in the Mount Kenya region.
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Jubilee kicked off their campaigns with a strategic meeting at a Limuru hotel where several party MPs, senators, MCAs and social media influencers converged to plan the day.
The meeting was headed by Limuru MP Peter Mwathi, Kieni MP Kanini Kega and Jubilee social media influencer Pauline Njoroge.
“We must hit the ground with a magnitude that has not been witnessed; we must not leave anything to chance,” said Mwathi. Mwathi led the ruling party in a campaign assault on the populous towns of Ruaka, Muchatha, Banana and Ndenderu.
MPs Peter Mwathi and Kanini Kega in Kiambaa, July 7, 2021. [George Njunge, Standard]
He took issue with what he said was propaganda by UDA that Jubilee’s mourning was in Juja Constituency and its burial would be in Kiambaa.
“I want us to counter that notion that we are the underdogs here, let’s tell them that the ruling party lead by the president, who also comes from Kiambu, cannot be buried in Kiambaa,” said Mwathi.
Kega said Jubilee would guard its votes by deploying trustworthy agents to oversee voting and vote-counting.
“This is a do-or-die battle; we will leave no room for even the slightest of mistakes. We want to tie all loose ends by ensuring that the vote is well guarded,” said Kega.
Kega asked the rally-goers to tell Kiambaa people that Jubilee had done much, which was visible for all to see.
“All the millions worth of projects in Kiambaa have been done by Jubilee, and I, therefore, ask you to give us a chance to complete the projects we started,” said Kariri Njama.
MPs allied to UDA led by Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah had pitched camp at Ruaka where they held a massive rally and asked the electorate to give the party’s candidate a chance to give Kiambaa a fresh start.
Ichung’wah told the voters that the mini-polls were a make-or-break. ”We need to wake up early with only one reason: To vote for Njuguna Wanjiku and nothing else, that is our humble request”.
He said it was time for young Turks to take over the leadership mantle, and the election of Njuguna Wanjiku would set the pace.
Njuguna Wanjiku told his supports that he was ready to toil for them since he knew that 2022 was beckoning. “I have no time to rest, I must work and work very hard for you. I promise to deliver on all the promises I have made to you”.
In the Muguga Ward by-election, Jubilee’s Githinji Mung’ara is battling it out with UDA’s Kamau Thumbi following the death of the area MCA Eliud Ngugi.
