Nyandarua governor accused of intimidating party rivals

Nyandarua Governor Waithaka Mwangi. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Nyandarua Governor Daniel Waithaka and County Speaker Ndegwa Wahome have been accused of using their positions to intimidate other members of the Jubilee Party in the region.

This comes as the fight for control of the new party in the region intensifies.

However, Jubilee Party (JP) interim chairman Kimani Gakenia on Thursday advised the two to expect no special treatment.

“We the JP interim officials welcome them to the party but they should conduct their affairs soberly and not expect special treatments,” Mr Gakenia said.

He spoke amid tension among party supporters in the county after two groups clashed over the party’s leadership.

FIGHT AMONG SUPPORTERS

A fight broke out among the JP supporters on Tuesday after a group claiming to be its county officials attempted to hold party elections in Miharati town in Kipipiri constituency.

Mr Gakenia, a former Nyandarua branch Kanu chairman and Mr Naphtali Mureithi, the interim secretary of the JP and an aspirant for Kinangop constituency were attacked by youths said to have travelled from Rurii in Ol-Kalou constituency.

The fight came a day after former TNA county officials, led by county assembly Speaker Mr Ndegwa Wahome dismissed the two as imposters while the Governor called them ODM moles in the County.

Governor Waithaka claimed he had not sanctioned anybody to conduct party elections in the area, as patron of Jubilee in the county

URGENT MEETING

On Wednesday, Governor Waithaka and Senator Muriuki Karue convened an urgent meeting to brainstorm on the developments.

The county assembly convened its session to allow MCAs discuss the issue.

But speaking to the Nation, Mr Gakenia said the Governor and the county speaker were formerly interim officials of TNA but never became officials of the Jubilee Alliance Party which is JP’s predecessor.

Mr Gakenia argues that the governor and the speaker were not even part of the 12 delegates that the Jubilee Alliance sent from Nyandarua to the Kasarani meeting that gave birth to JP.

“In fact the governor had six people who went to Kasarani as delegates of Republican Council Party,” Mr Gakenia alleged.

He defended his meetings in the county saying they were meant to organise and popularize JP and accused the two of trying to use their positions to lock out their opponents.

“Mr Wahome used his position as interim official of TNA to get the speaker’s position but we will not allow this to happen in JP because we want everybody to have a level playing ground,” the interim county JP chairman.

He said JP wants all aspirants to have equal opportunity in the party.

He described the Miharati meeting as 'very successful’ despite the violence that occurred, claiming many youths registered to join the party.

He indicated that there were plans to open a party branch office in Ol-Kalou.

Mr Wahome however, insists that former county TNA officials would automatically transform into officials of the new party.

Mr Mureithi said the 12 delegates from Nyandarua who went to Kasarani for the launch of JP had official invitation, through him as the secretary of Nyandarua, from the Jubilee Alliance party.