Nasa is frustrating my bid, says Kakamega governor aspirant

Kakamega gubernatorial aspirant Ms Mabel Muruli She has accused the opposition coalition, Nasa, of frustrating her efforts to contest on their ticket, pushing her to Jubilee. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • She said the delay by Nasa to name a flag bearer is working in favour of Jubilee in western region.
  • In 2013, Ms Muruli bid to contest the governorship suffered a setback on account her academic qualifications.
  • The aspirant is expected to battle out for the Jubilee ticket with former Butere MP Amukoa Anangwe.

An aspirant for the Kakamega governor’s seat, Ms Mabel Muruli, has accused the opposition coalition, Nasa, of frustrating her efforts to contest on their ticket, pushing her to Jubilee.

In a TV interview Wednesday, Ms Muruli said lack of democracy in the opposition has disadvantaged women seeking elective seats.

“I was thinking of Nasa in my bid to contest the governor’s seat but they (leaders) made it very difficult for me. That is why I decided to work with President Uhuru Kenyatta and his administration,” said Ms Muruli.

She said the delay by Nasa to name a flag bearer is working in favour of Jubilee in western region.

“Jubilee has already hit the road campaigning for the re-election of President Kenyatta while Nasa leadership is still bickering about who their flag bearer will be.

“They had better put their house in order if they hope to challenge Jubilee in the polls in August,” said Ms Muruli.

2013 SETBACK

In 2013, Ms Muruli bid to contest the governorship suffered a setback on account her academic qualifications.

She unsuccessfully challenged the election of Governor Wycliffe Oparanya all the way to the Supreme Court after she was locked out of the contest by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Ms Muruli asked voters in the region not to be swayed by the Nasa euphoria in the region saying communities in Kakamega are tired of supporting the opposition which has nothing to offer them.

“If elected the next governor, I will ensure resources allocated to the county are put to proper use and work closely with President Kenyatta to attract support from the government for improvement of infrastructure to attract investment,” said the aspirant.

OTHER CONTESTANTS

The aspirant is expected to battle out for the Jubilee ticket with former Butere MP Amukoa Anangwe.

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale is contesting the governorship on a Ford-Kenya ticket.

Ms Muruli said the Jubilee Party enjoys strong support in five constituencies of Matungu, Mumias East, Ikolomani, Navakholo and Malava and is working on a strategy to win support from the remaining seven constituencies.

“In 2013, I had planned to contest the governor’s seat as an independent candidate but my opponents conspired to frustrate me. This time around they should know I am prepared to face them all the way to the ballot,” said Ms Muruli.

UNSEAT OPARANYA

Exuding confidence, Ms Muruli said her support has grown since the 2013 polls and she stands a good chance of unseating the incumbent governor.

“Governor Oparanya has very little to show in the four years he has been in office. The incumbent has performed dismally and failed to tackle corruption among county officials and allowed wastage of public resources,” said Ms Muruli.

But Governor Oparanya dismissed Ms Muruli’s criticism of his administration’s performance as baseless.

Responding to Ms Muruli’s criticism, Mr Oparanya described her as a “stranger” who needs to familiarise herself with the developments in the county.

Mr Sumba Juma, the county head of communications, said Governor Oparanya would not waste time responding to issues raised by Ms Muruli.