Governor Lee Kinyanjui gets Jubilee nod to defend seat

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui will now fly the Jubilee Party flag in the Nakuru gubernatorial seat.

Mr Kinyanjui was among several leaders handed nomination certificates on Friday at the Jubilee Party headquarters in Nairobi.

His nomination now sets the stage for a titanic battle between him and his political rival Susan Kihika, who will fly the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) flag.

Governor Kinyanjui recently rejoined the ruling party. Earlier, he had announced that he would defend his seat on the Ubuntu People's Forum (UPF) ticket.

"It is now official that Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui will now fly our flag in the Nakuru gubernatorial seat. The party has also picked other aspirants for the other seats including Senate and Woman Representative after days of consensus building," said the party's director of elections Kanini Kega while issuing the certificates.

Also eyeing the Jubilee ticket for the governor race were former Senator James Mungai, Dr Stanley Karanja and Mr Gidraph Mwangi. They later stepped down for Mr Kinyanjui.

Former Industrialisation Chief Administrative Secretary Lawrence Macharia Karanja will fly the party’s flag in the senatorial race while Ms Agnes Njambi will vie for the Woman Rep seat.

Others handed Jubilee tickets were parliamentary aspirants Samuel Arama (Nakuru West),Peter Cheruiyoit Mtumishi (Kuresoi South), Andrew Kibet Komen (Rongai), Nelson Gaichuihe (Subukia), Joseph Kiuna (Njoro), Dr Kariki Gichuki (Molo), Joel Ayieni (Kuresoi North),Solomon Ndegwa (Naivasha), Benson Mwangi (Nakuru East).

Ms Irene Njoki will battle it out with Kimani Ngunjiri (UDA) for the Bahati parliamentary seat, while former Gilgil MP Ndiritu Mathenge will square it out with the incumbent, Ms Martha Wangari (UDA).

In Nakuru, a region that is still perceived as a Jubilee stronghold, the fielding of various candidates sets the stage for a major battle between Deputy President William Ruto's UDA and the ruling party.

However, the Jubilee Party, which was birthed at Afraha Stadium in 2013, has considerably lost its support base to Deputy President William Ruto's United Democratic Party (UDA) in Nakuru and other parts of Rift Valley.

Even with the grand revival plans by President Uhuru Kenyatta, the party faces one of its toughest comebacks in the region ahead of the August 9 General Election.

The elections are being interpreted as a supremacy battle between President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto.

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