The ruling Jubilee party has suffered a major setback after President Uhuru Kenyatta's close ally and lead woman campaigner at the coast, Dr Naomi Shaban ditched the party.
Dr Shaban, in her resignation letter dated April 8, cited "unavoidable circumstances" as the reason for her departure.
"I have seen tell-tale signs of being rigged out and I could not wait to find out on the ballot,” she stated
The long-serving Taveta MP further stated that her constituents had forced her to rescind her decision to retire from politics, a decision she had announced last year.
“I wish Jubilee Party all the best in the upcoming election,” she wrote.
In 2002, when she was launching her career, Dr Shaban beat the NARC tide to be elected as the Taita Taveta MP on a KANU ticket, while his ally Mr Kenyatta was running for President against Mwai Kibaki of Narc.
In 2007, when Mr Kenyatta joined forces with President Kibaki, Dr Shaban stuck by him and was rewarded for her loyalty by being appointed as the Minister of Special programs before being moved to the Gender docket.
Dr Shaban would again capture her seat in 2013 in a county where the governor, senator, woman representative, four of the five MPs and a majority of the members of the county assembly were elected on an ODM ticket.
Here is a copy of her resignation letter:
