Aspirants who wish to vie for the Mathira parliamentary seat on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party ticket in the August 9 elections have until today to submit their applications to the party’s National Election Board (NEB).
In a notice posted on the party’s official twitter handle, the UDA’s NEB chairman Mr Anthony Mwaura said that the post fell vacant following the nomination of Rigathi Gachagua as Dr William Ruto’s running mate, meaning he cannot vie for the MP’s post.
“On May 15 Rigathi Gachagua the UDA party candidate for member of National Assembly Mathira constituency, Nyeri County was nominated as UDA party’s presidential running mate. As a result, he will not it be contesting for the member of national assembly seat for Mathira,” said Anthony.
Nyeri UDA coordinator Lucy Wanyitu told KNA the party has already received two applications from politicians who are interested in vying for the vacant position.
Among those who have shown interest in the seat include the current Konyu ward representative Eric wa Mumbi and Githinji Kinyanjui (cocorico) who unsuccessfully ran for the Nyeri gubernatorial seat in 2017.
“The Mathira seat is now up for grabs for those intending to run on the UDA party ticket following the nomination of Rigathi Gachagua as the party’s presidential running mate. And as we speak two aspirants have already shown interest in the seat and we expect many more to present their applications before the close of the deadline,” she disclosed.
Before his nomination on Sunday, Rigathi who was serving his first term as Mathira MP was planning to defend his seat on UDA ticket come the August polls.
He was facing off with 76-year-old Wambura Maranga who is making a second attempt at clinching the seat, this time on a Jubilee Party ticket.
In the 2017 general elections, Maranga who vied as an independent candidate, lost to Gachagua after coming second with 28,893 votes against Gachagua’s 52,757 votes.
