The People's Empowerment Party associated with Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria appears to be a proxy for Deputy President William Ruto in the Juja Constituency by-election scheduled for May 18.
The party is fielding George Koimburi, considered as one of the serious contenders in the mini poll, after he ditched the ruling Jubilee party for PEP on Sunday, March 14.
Kuria’s party settled on Koimburi, a candidate who emerged second in the 2017 constituency election.
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Koimburi is one of the more than 10 aspirants for the seat that fell vacant following the death of Francis Munyua Waititu aka 'Wakapee'.
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA), another party also linked to DP Ruto, pulled out of the Juja race after Kuria's party picked Koimburi.
UDA had indicated it would sponsor a candidate but Kuria party's entrance into the by-election seemed to have informed its decision to pull out since the Gatundu South MP is a close Ruto ally.
However, reached for comment, the outspoken MP who represents President Uhuru Kenyatta's rural home constituency said he is not fronting anyone in the Juja by-election and that he is only trying his luck in politics.
"People may say anything, but I will let them be. I am only advancing my party and my agenda. Hii ni soko huru (this is democracy)," Kuri said when asked whether his decision doesn't bring him on a collision course with the President with Juja considered as a gateway to his rural home.
"The message is simple to the people of Juja. If you elect Koimburi as your MP, you are helping Kuria to become the next Deputy President," he said, adding that democracy should be allowed to flourish.
Koimburi told his supporters that he was quite at home with PEP which he termed as the "Hustler Nation party."
But Kuria said that he is not fighting the President or the government.
That notwithstanding, Kuria's candidate, Koimburi, said that his life is in danger claiming he has been receiving threatening calls from anonymous callers and that he believes some people have been contracted to monitor his every move.
“I am asking the government to provide me with security because I believe my life is in danger. Some strange people have been following me since I defected on Sunday,” Koimburi said at a press conference attended by his supporters at a Ruiru hotel.
Koimburi accused Jubilee Vice Chairman David Murathe, MPs Jude Njomo (Kiambu Town) and Gathoni Wamuchomba (Kiambu Woman Rep) of pushing him out of the party through intimidation, but the three did not respond to the claims.
He decried a lack of democracy in the ruling party which he said forced him to dump Jubilee after realizing that the leadership was favouring the late Waititu's widow, Susan Njeri, who is one of the aspirants.
Ms. Waititu is now left to face off with at least three other aspirants for the Jubilee Party primaries scheduled to take place this Saturday, March 20.
Other contestants eyeing the Jubilee ticket include Naftaly Rugara Muiga, a lecturer at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), former Kiambu Education Minister Joseph Ng’ang’a and businessman Anthony Kirori.
The rest are independent aspirants, among them 32-year-old medical doctor Joseph Gichui, who is the youngest in the crowded race.
Also going independently are Zack Nderitu and James Marungo, a local businessman.
Those initially seeking clearance from UDA included former Juja constituency chairman Ken Gachuma, Moses Mwenda and Eunice Wanjiru Wamugo.
Dr. Gichui, on his part, said his priority is primary healthcare, education and empowerment of the youth.
He expressed concern that despite its huge population, Juja does not have a single Level IV hospital or public boarding secondary school.
Gachuma, who was running the constituency NG-CDF kitty between 2013 and 2016 when Juja was declared the best in the Central region and seventh countrywide in management of the Fund, said his record speaks for itself.
