A storm is brewing in the Jubilee party, Nyandarua county faction after the two leading gubernatorial aspirants failed to secure the party's ticket before Friday's deadline.
This was after the two, incumbent Governor Francis Kimemia and former Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki failed to agree on who will get the ticket and fly the party's flag in Nyandarua.
According to reports, Governor Kimemia and his supporters had camped at Jubilee party headquarters on Friday, April 22, hoping to get the nomination certificate after an invite by the party.
However, with few people remaining before Kimemia's turn to get the ticket, his competitor Ms. Sicily Kariuki reportedly stormed the party's headquarters Pangani in protest.
A commotion between the two reportedly ensued with Kimemia's supporters claiming that some party officials were opposed to Mr Kimemia getting the nomination certificate.
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Kimemia's team claimed that the drama caused by Sicily and his team was stage-managed by the party's officials to deliberately deny Kimemia the party's ticket.
It was then that Jubilee Party Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni and the Director of Elections Kanini Kega tried to mediate between the two and have Sicily Kariuki go for the senate option. The former CS, however, stayed put demanding to be given the gubernatorial ticket.
"Sicily Kariuki and her team arrived shortly before the governor's name was to be called to receive the certificate. We do not understand why there were delays in handing over the nomination certificate.
"A crisis meeting was convened to settle the issue where she was requested to accept the senatorial certificate but she declined and stormed out of the boardroom," said Godwin Mugo.
With Kariuki storming out of the party's offices, Kioni's team had no option other than to postpone their case, saying President Uhuru Kenyatta was going to address and decide on the matter.
Kimemia said he will be patient and wait on the president to address the matter, adding that he will accept any ruling by the head of state.
This comes at a time when Kimemia had been one of the vocal Jubilee Governors campaigning for Raila Odinga in the Mt Kenya region. He has, however, kept a low profile since Raila went slow on his campaigns in the region.
The winner will face off with Moses Kiarie Badilisha who will be flying the UDA party flag in Nyandarau county.
