Kandara Member of Parliament Alice Wahome has said parties affiliated to Kenya Kwanza Alliance should not expect any favour in the ongoing campaigns.
Wahome has told the affiliate party leaders to stop complaining of what they term as mistreatments at contests for parliamentary and county level but instead spearhead campaigns and support the alliance’s presidential candidate William Ruto.
The MP who is a staunch supporter of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party was speaking while distributing bursary cheques to needy students in her constituency.
Wahome explained that the agreement with the affiliated parties in the alliance is based only on them supporting Ruto’s State House bid saying they should not expect the deputy president to drum up support for other candidates rather than those with the UDA party.
She said the parties are free to hold their rallies and use DP Ruto’s picture on their campaign posters, but should not expect UDA to withdraw support for its own candidates.
“Candidates from other parties affiliated to Kenya Kwanza should campaign for our presidential candidate, Dr. Ruto. They should not expect other favours. Let them campaign without complaining,” she attested.
Aspirants from the other parties affiliated Kenya Kwanza, have been complaining of discrimination saying they are not being allowed to address Ruto’s campaign rallies in their constituencies unlike their UDA rivals.
The Service Party (TSP) leader Mwangi Kiunjuri had previously called on Ruto to clarify the matter accusing his running mate Rigathi Gachagua of promoting the “six-piece” vote for UDA in Mt Kenya region, to the detriment of candidates sponsored by other parties in the alliance.
A week ago, fights and offensive word exchanges were witnessed in Murang’a, where governorship aspirants with parties affiliated to Kenya Kwanza engaged in a fight that left scores of supporters nursing injuries and a number of campaign vehicles destroyed.
The incident was between Irungu Nyakera, who is flying the Farmers Party ticket, and former Water PS Wairagu wa Maai who is seeking governorship on Democratic Party (DP) ticket.
Nyakera claims his caravan was on a meet the people tour in Gaturi ward when his supporters ran into Wairagu wa Maai’s caravan in Gaturi and a scuffle ensued.
He alleged that Wairagu’s supporters attacked his vehicles breaking windscreens, while others who were armed with machetes started attacking his supporters.
On his part Wairagu said Nyakera is to blame for the incident claiming they had planned for the tour in the area a week earlier.
Wahome, reacting about the scuffle, observed that Kenya Kwanza Alliance will take stern action on both candidates.
She also wants the electoral agency to take legal action against politicians who commit electoral offences during the campaign period calling for peaceful campaigns across the political divide.
