Jubilee Alliance: Ngilu bemoans exclusion

The National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) leader Charity Ngilu has said her exclusion from the Jubilee Alliance presidential primaries was regrettable but was open to other options.

Mrs Ngilu, who spent the day marketing the coalition in her Kitui County backyard, said she had secured a commitment from the alliance party leaders to participate in the presidential nominations as part of the new pact.

The Water minister, who was visibly astonished at the turn of events, said she will issue a comprehensive statement after holding talks with Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta of The National Alliance (TNA) and Eldoret North MP William Ruto of the United Republican Party (URP).

“I am fully in the presidential race, even if I don’t secure Jubilee's nod there are still many political options to pursue,” she told the Nation at the Kefri centre in Kitui where she met party supporters.

On Tuesday, officials of the Alliance said Mrs Ngilu will not participate in its presidential primaries because a new pre-election coalition could not be formed since the December 4 deadline had passed.

However, the minister who was accompanied by Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo, said it would a big blunder if her coalition partners locked her out of the primaries without consultations.