Malindi Member of Parliament (MP) Aisha Jumwa has asked Deputy President William Ruto to implore upon George Kithi to drop his Kilifi gubernatorial bid.
Both Kithi and Jumwa are seeking to succeed Amason Kingi as Kilifi Governor.
Kingi’s Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) Party will front Kithi’s candidature, while Jumwa will run for governor under William Ruto-led United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
The two parties, alongside others, have a coalition agreement under the Kenya Kwanza outfit.
After Kingi announced that he was joining UDA on May 10, infighting has rocked the coalition in Kilifi, with both PAA and UDA adamant that they’ll each field a candidate in the governorship contest.
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On Wednesday, May 25, Deputy President William Ruto led a host of Kenya Kwanza leaders in campaigns at the Msabaha Grounds in Malindi, Kilifi County.
In her speech, the area MP Aisha Jumwa asked Ruto to persuade Kithi to drop his governorship interest, saying she was best-suited to face off against ODM candidate Gideon Mung’aro in the Kingi succession race.
“Your excellency (Ruto), I am kindly asking you to set aside an appointive seat for George Kithi at the national government. Let him serve the country at that level, and allow me battle it out with our opponents in the race to succeed Governor Kingi,” said Jumwa.
The lawmaker also addressed PAA Party leader Kingi, asking him to rescind the decision of fielding a candidate in the Kilifi gubernatorial contest.
“I’m asking you Governor Kingi to kindly allow your aunt and younger sister here, Aisha Jumwa, to run for governor under Kenya Kwanza coalition,” she said.
“It’s only Aisha Jumwa who has the political muscle to defeat the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya candidate,” she added.
Governor Kingi also spoke at the rally, calling out ODM for faulting his exit from Azimio la Umoja.
“They (Raila Odinga and team) recently campaigned in Kilifi County after I left Azimio la Umoja. Their agenda was one issue: attacking Governor Kingi. They didn’t have any other meaningful thing to tell the residents of Kilifi,” he said.
It remains to be seen whether Kingi and Ruto will strike an agreement to have only one candidate under Kenya Kwanza running for governor in Kilifi County.
None of the two key leaders responded to Jumwa’s wishes at the rally in Malindi.
The DP was accompanied to Malindi by Governors Amason Kingi (Kilifi), Salim Mvurya (Kwale), Alfred Mutua (Machakos), Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki, MPs Moses Kuria (Gatundu South), Aisha Jumwa (Malindi), Charles Kanyi alias Jaguar (Starehe), among others.
In his speech, DP Ruto drummed up support for his bottom-up economic model, saying he’ll improve Kenyans’ economic welfare should he be elected president on August 9, 2022.
