A showdown is looming in the Mount Kenya region after the Jubilee Party demanded that Rigathi Gachagua's DCP and other United Opposition parties bow out from the Ol Kalou by-election.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, April 11, Deputy Party Leader Jermiah Kioni reckoned that the Ol Kalou seat belonged to Jubilee since the late David Kiaraho had been elected on a Jubilee ticket.
He called on political parties to shelve their bids for the Parliamentary by-election and support the Jubilee Party candidate.
"As it has been the tradition of the United Opposition, we also expect them to cede ground for the Jubilee Party. We as a party are ready to field a candidate to ensure we retain the seat," Kioni stated.
The Jubilee Deputy Party Leader intimated that the party would field a candidate who would ensure that the late Kiaraho's development agenda continued.
Former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu reiterated Kioni's call, stating that it was time for the other Mount Kenya parties to support Jubilee.
Wambugu recounted how Jubilee withdrew from the Mbeere North by-election in favour of Newton Kariuki of the Democratic Party (DP), which is affiliated to former Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi.
"Jubilee still ceded the Mbeere North seat to DP because Geoffrey Ruku, who had actually left the MP position to join government, had been in DP, which moved to the Opposition," he stated.
Gachagua's DCP is yet to pick a candidate for the Ol Kalou Parliamentary seat. However, several aspirants have shown interest in contesting for the seat under DCP.
DCP Coordinator for Nyandarua County, Sammy Ngotho, has eyes on the party ticket and is likely to square it out with businessman Paul Waiganjo.
In his earlier pronouncements, the former Deputy President had stated that he envisioned DCP winning most, if not all, elective seats in the Mount Kenya region.
The issue of zoning is slowly becoming an elephant in the room for both the broad-based government and the United Opposition.
A section of ODM leaders wants UDA to steer clear of its strongholds in the upcoming general election in 2027.
ODM Chair Gladys Wanga insisted that the Orange Party needs to maintain its numbers in Parliament. On his part, Suna East MP Junet Mohamed threatened that ODM would abandon the pact with UDA if they did not agree to zoning.
Parties in the United Opposition are equally campaigning for their aspirants to win seats in their strongholds.
However, the battle to win seats in the Mount Kenya seat as DCP, Jubilee and DCP are all from the region. Failure to address the issue may leave room for UDA to clinch some seats in the area.
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