Chama Cha Kazi (CCK) party leader Moses Kuria has dismissed claims that he was deployed by the government to split votes in select regions during the by-elections held on Thursday, November 27.
Kuria, a former Presidential Advisor and Cabinet Secretary, termed the allegations as politically motivated and meant to paint him as a spoiler.
In a statement on Friday, Kuria said the accusations were being pushed by individuals unwilling to take responsibility for their poor performance at the ballot, arguing that neither he nor his party entered into any agreement with any political formation ahead of the by-elections.
“I am amused by those saying the CCK party, and I were on a mission to divide votes in Mbeere North,” Kuria stated, questioning why critics were targeting him when his candidate garnered only 2,480 votes, arguing that the numbers did not support claims that he influenced the outcome.
Kuria further noted that his party had picked Duncan Mbui after he was dropped by another political outfit, adding that those faulting CCK should explain why they failed to unite their own candidates.
The former CS also pointed out that there were five other contestants besides the top contenders, questioning why they were not being accused of splitting votes.
At the same time, Kuria argued that major political figures campaigned for his rivals, while he was the only outsider who showed up to support Mbui.
He further wondered how the opposition expected to control numbers in the Mt Kenya region while UDA managed to secure over 15,000 votes. According to him, those shifting blame to CCK were avoiding an honest evaluation of their strategy.
“CCK was formed on August 17, 2021. We have been around long before other parties. To the best of my knowledge, the business of parties is sponsoring candidates. Should we branch off and start selling other things?”
Kuria's sentiments come moments after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Friday, November 28, declared the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate, Leonard Wa Muthende, the MP-elect in the Mbeere-North mini-polls.
This is after Wa Muthende received 15,802 votes, against the Democratic Party's Newton Kariuki, popularly known as Karish, who garnered 15,308.
The mini-polls were triggered by the appointment of Geoffrey Ruku as Public Service Cabinet Secretary, replacing Justin Muturi, who was dismissed in March this year.
Meanwhile, many political observers have been questioning Kuria’s motive for resigning from a top government post and why he has not shown interest in joining any political alliance at a time when his peers appear to be gravitating toward coalitions ahead of 2027.
