A political showdown is brewing in the Mount Kenya region after the Jubilee Party demanded that Rigathi Gachagua’s Democratic Congress Party (DCP) and other United Opposition affiliates step aside from the upcoming Ol Kalou by-election.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, April 11, Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Jeremiah Kioni insisted that the Ol Kalou parliamentary seat rightfully belonged to Jubilee, noting that the late David Kiaraho had been elected on a Jubilee ticket. Kioni urged all allied parties to shelve their ambitions and rally behind the Jubilee candidate.
“As it has been the tradition of the United Opposition, we also expect them to cede ground for the Jubilee Party. We as a party are ready to field a candidate to ensure we retain the seat,” Kioni stated.
He emphasized that Jubilee would nominate a candidate committed to advancing the late Kiaraho’s development agenda in the constituency.
Former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu echoed Kioni’s sentiments, calling on other Mount Kenya-based parties to support Jubilee’s bid. He cited Jubilee’s previous gesture of goodwill during the Mbeere North by-election, where the party stepped aside in favor of Newton Kariuki of the Democratic Party (DP), associated with former Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi.
“Jubilee still ceded the Mbeere North seat to DP because Geoffrey Ruku, who had actually left the MP position to join government, had been in DP, which moved to the Opposition,” Wambugu explained.
Meanwhile, Gachagua’s DCP has yet to settle on a candidate for the Ol Kalou seat, though several aspirants have expressed interest. Among them are DCP’s Nyandarua County Coordinator Sammy Ngotho and businessman Paul Waiganjo, both eyeing the party ticket.
In earlier remarks, Gachagua had declared his ambition for DCP to dominate elective positions across the Mount Kenya region, signaling a potential clash with Jubilee and other allied parties.
The question of zoning within the United Opposition and the broader political landscape is increasingly becoming a contentious issue, threatening to test the unity of the coalition ahead of the by-election.
