New twist as Nzioka Waita’s CCU party Sec-Gen endorses Wavinya for Machakos Governor

Machakos gubernatorial race has taken a new shape after Chama Cha Uzalendo (CCU) Secretary General Phillipe Sadja ditched Nzioka Waita's camp to back Wiper Party candidate Wavinya Ndeti.

Waita, who is running on a CCU party ticket, suffered the political blow on Wednesday after Sadja declared support for the former Transport and Infrastructure Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS).

Wavinya on her part made the announcement on social media as she lauded Sadja, saying she was certain of clinching the county’s top seat come August 9th.

“We sincerely thank Deputy Governor Francis Maliti for agreeing to step down and support our candidature unconditionally. We also thank the CCU Secretary General Phillipe Sadja and the Party Officials for decamping to our side. Indeed today is monumental. We are winning big,” Wavinya wrote on Twitter.

CCU party officials have however dismissed the move by Sadja as inconsequential, pointing out that it was an individual decision and does not in any way affect the candidature of Waita in the Machakos contest.

“Nzioka Waita is winning the Machakos governor seat squarely. We want to make it very clear that no void has been left by Sadja’s decision to support the other side,” Davis Musau, CCU party National Organising Secretary stated.

“Sadja moved to Wavinya’s camp individually and not as the CCU party Secretary General. As CCU party we are focused on campaigns to make sure Waita wins the election,” he added

This comes a day after Maendeleo Chap Chap candidate Francis Maliti shelved his ambitions in support of  Wavinya to succeed outgoing Governor Alfred Mutua.

Following the unprecedented move, political rivals Waita and Wavinya took to social media to criticise each other owing to the fact that Maliti’s running mate Rose Wambua decamped to Waita’s camp on Sunday.