Nyeri picks Jubilee gubernatorial nominee in unique primaries

The Nyeri County gubernatorial race promises to be a unique one as it is the only county where aspirants will not be intimidated by the apparent political might of incumbency following the death of the late Governor Nderitu Gachagua on February 24, 2017.

The Jubilee Party is today conducting nominations in the county in a race that has been taking new twists since the death of Governor Gachagua.

Back in 2013 the late governor had defied the strong wave of The National Alliance (TNA) in the region and ran on a GNU party ticket to win against a TNA candidate, Wahome Gakuru.

Gachagua garnered 137,469 votes against Wahome’s 127,776 votes.

Wahome has remained optimistic that this time round he will clinch the Jubilee ticket and eventually be the next Nyeri Governor come August.

Just like Gachagua, Mutahi Kagwe won the senatorial race in 2013 on a NARC ticket against a TNA candidate. Mutahi, who entered the 2017 gubernatorial race after the death of Gachagua, is perceived to be a strong candidate, with political commentators saying that he is the number one contender for the Jubilee ticket.

In 2013, Mutahi garnered 177,238 votes against his fierce rival Ephraim Maina of TNA who garnered 107,180 votes. TNA and NARC have since been dissolved to form the Jubilee Party.

Samuel Wamathai, Gachagua’s deputy governor who took over from him as prescribed in the 2010 constitution following his demise, also entered the race few days after being sworn in as governor. Reports indicate that Wamathai’s leadership was paramount to Gachagua’s administration, considering the fact that the governor had to spend a lot of time overseas for cancer treatment.

Nyeri businessman Evanson Githinji, popularly known as ‘Cocorico’, has conducted campaigns all over the county and he too is yearning for the Jubilee ticket.

Thuo Mathenge, who came third in the Nyeri gubernatoial race in 2013 on a Saba Saba Asili party ticket with 48,892 votes, has been locked out of today’s nomination exercise after Jubilee disqualified him on grounds that his degree acquired from a Uganda university was fraudulent.

Samuel Wamathai, Mutahi Kagwe, Patrick Wahome and Evanson Githinji will know their fate today as Nyeri constituents decide on who will be Jubilee’s flag bearer.