By Peter Ochieng

The Jubilee party under the leadership of former President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta will not field any candidates in the upcoming Elgeyo-Marakwet, Kandara and Garissa Township by-elections.

The mini-polls will be held on January 05, 2023, to elect a new Senator and two Members of Parliament (MPs).

Residents of Elgeyo Marakwet will elect a Senator to succeed Onesmus Kipchumba Murkomen who is serving as the Cabinet Secretary for Trade and Infrastructure; in Kandara locals will elect Alice Wahome’s successor, while in Garissa Township, residents will elect a new MP to take over from Aden Duale.

Wahome is the CS for Water while Duale is the CS for Defense.

Addressing members of the press on Monday, Jubilee party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni said they will not field any candidates in the mini polls, because they do not trust Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati.

Chebukati’s term in office comes to an end next month, and Kioni insists he should already have proceeded on terminal leave pending the appointment of a new IEBC boss.

“It is clear that Chebukati is being used by the regime to suffocate democracy. The Jubilee party will therefore embark on a sustained effort to win back the confidence and the trust of the people,” said Kioni.

However, it is important to state that Senatorial and MP elections are managed by IEBC county returning officers and constituency returning officers respectively, while the IEBC chairperson only serves as the presidential election returning officer.

Jubilee is among over 10 parties which came together under Azimio La Umoja One Kenya formation, ahead of the August 09, 2022 polls.

Initial media reports indicated that the parties’ leadership was against public consultations called by Azimio leader Raila Odinga over the state of the nation, starting Wednesday, this week.

During the press conference, Kioni, the former Ndaragwa MP however insisted that Jubilee remains part and parcel of Azimio and that they are part of the consultations called by Odinga.