Feud between Water CS Sicily Kariuki, governor Kimemia cost Jubilee Rurii Ward seat
The humiliating defeat suffered by the ruling Jubilee Party during the Rurii Ward by elections has been attributed to bitter rivalry between Nyandarua governor Francis Kimemia and Water Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki.
With an already active campaign secretariat, CS Kariuki is eying Nyandarua governorship seat in 2022 putting her into a collision course with the incumbent who has vowed to defend the plum post at all cost.
President Uhuru Kenyatta is on record warning against Cabinet members against engaging in active politics and instead cautioned them to resign if they want to take part in politics while in office.
The two bitter rivals conducted parallel campaigns drumming up support for the Jubilee candidate overshadowed by deep rooted divisive political undertones between them that turned counter-productive in the end.
This culminated to unanticipated loss to Francis Muraya of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party aligned to Deputy President William Ruto in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s predominantly controlled Mount Kenya vote basket.
Muraya garnered 4,303 votes while his closest contender Jubilee’s Peter Thinji managed garnered 3,143 votes.
“It goes without saying that the duo; governor Kimemia and CS Kariuki who are troops of His Excellency President Kenyatta are the very people who betrayed him over egocentric political contestations. It was unfathomable that Jubilee Party can loss in Nyandarua. They pulled in different directions and failed to focus on the bigger picture. Sicily controlled one wing alongside National Assembly Majority Leader Amos Kimunya while Kimemia controlled the Jubilee faction aided by Laikipia governor Nderitu Murerihi.” Gilbert Maina, a resident told The Informer.
Simon Kanyingi who contested for the Nyandarua governorship in 2017 also blamed President Kenyatta’s led party loss to Kimemia’s appointment to oversee grassroots campaign drive.
“Jubilee cannot send Governor Francis Kimemia to make more promises to Rurii people and yet he has not fulfilled the old promises he made to them.” Kanyingi said.
Meanwhile, detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (Eacc) earlier today raided Nyandarua governor’s offices in Ol Kalou.
The sleuths also seized documents at the home of the governor’s secretary and the Roads CEC – Mary Mugwanja.
According to sources at the anti-graft body, the raid was conducted in connection to an ongoing investigation involving embezzlement of Ksh55 million tender.
Charles Rasugu, the anti-graft agency central region manager, stated that the raid was targeting Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia’s office.
The tender in question is reportedly linked to the son of a senior government official.
