Jubilee Member of Parliament, Maina Kamanda, is at risk of losing his party nomination after a section of leaders allied to Deputy President William Ruto called for his expulsion from the party.
According to The Star on Saturday, September 21, Inua Mama faction leaders, while speaking on Friday at the Moi Stadium in Voi, Taita Taveta, demanded that Kamanda be expelled for endorsing ODM's Imran Okoth in the Kibra by-election.
"He has abused the privilege of being a nominated MP that we gave him as Jubilee Party. If he no longer holds the ideology of the ruling party then he should resign and join the opposition. His position can be given to other deserving leaders," Kirinyaga Woman Representative Wangui Ngirici stated.
Ngirici indicated that Kamanda had contravened the Political Parties Act by endorsing Imran Okoth instead of Jubilee’s McDonald Mariga.
On Thursday, September 19, Maina Kamanda held a presser at ODM headquarters, Capitol Hill, where he declared Imran Okoth, a day after President Uhuru Kenyatta had endorsed McDonald Mariga for the Kibra seat on a Jubilee ticket.
"I'm here as a person, I'm not representing anyone. As a person, I will be with the nominee that has been nominated by ODM party. I call him the handshake candidate," Kamanda declared on live TV.
Kamanda has rubbed shoulders with his Jubilee compatriots a number of times.
On Sunday, September 8, he traded blows with Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro at Gitau Catholic Church in Murang'a county. Nyoro would later be arrested and he accused Kamanda of forcing him to declare support for ODM's Raila Odinga instead of DP Ruto.
A week later on Sunday, September 15, Kamanda then hit out at DP Ruto, alleging that political leaders who he claimed use coercion to sway Kenyans in their 2022 campaigns would not succeed in their quest even if they were armed with guns.
During the Inua Mama rally, ODM rebel and Malindi MP, Aisha Jumwa, lashed at Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, slamming him for promoting divisive politics.
“We want to warn those campaigning in Kibra constituency to stop abusing the Deputy President. You have all heard Babu Owino abusing the DP but we are wondering that no action has been taken against him,” Jumwa ranted.
Watch the video, courtesy of Nation.
