Fresh wrangles among President Uhuru Kenyatta's Ukambani campaign team is threatening to split the Jubilee Presidential campaigns for the October 17 repeat election.
Three teams have emerged among the President’s campaigners with all seeking to be noticed by the President and have a bigger say in the party affairs.
One camp presumed to be functioning well with the President has Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, three Jubilee Kamba Legislators Victor Munyaka (Machakos Town), Rachael Nyamai (Kitui South) Nimrod Mbai (Kitui East).
The team also has Billionaire Businessman Peter Muthoka, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Monica Juma, Kenya’s Ambassador to Turkey Kiema Kilonzo, Sports Kenya chairman Fred Muteti and former Kitui Senator David Musila.
The second group consists of Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopha Mailu, Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua and a host of senior civil servants.
The third group is major composed of Jubilee parliamentary candidates who lost last month’s elections led by former Mwingi Central MP Joe Mutambu.
The first team led by Muthoka and Dr Juma maintains that it delivered the three parliamentary seats and 170,000 votes the President got from Ukambani and wants to be seen as an asset compared to the “bunch of losers”.
Mr Mutambu's team on their part argue that the Muthoka group was messing up the Jubilee campaigns in the region. According to the team, politics should be left to politicians since non-politicians may not understand the local dynamics.
“Businessmen and civil servants are the best in mobilizing resources and data but not the actual campaigns. Those who have run for political office should be tasked with leading Jubilee’s hunt for votes,” Mutambu noted.
The infighting was also highlighted on Monday when Dr Mailu was sidelined and overlooked as the Leaders visited President Kenyatta at State House.
Reports indicate that the major cause of infighting is competition for access to the President and control of Jubilee campaign resources.
Dr Isaac Kalua, one of the leading Jubilee mobilizers in Kitui, said there was urgent need to stop the negative energy that could cost the President votes in the region.
“No family has ever grown stronger by fighting itself. We must put our act together and give the President a resounding victory,” he stated.
Sources close to the President and his Deputy William Ruto indicate that the Jubilee leaders are unhappy with the infighting and vicious supremacy wars that are likely to rock the Jubilee boat from within.
