Jubilee party has been dealt a heavy blow after Embu Senator Lenny Kivuti and Deputy Governor Dorothy Nditi defected to Maendeleo Chap Chap Party.
Together with Mbeere North MP Charles Njagagua and 23 MCAs, the politicians left Jubilee citing lack of transparency in the party leadership in Embu county.
But they said they will support President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election bid in the August 8 polls.
“Whatever we do we shall support Uhuru since we have no problem with him and we shall vote for him,” Kivuti told journalists in his Kanyaumbora residence on Saturday.
The Senator said he defected to Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua’s party after being persuaded by Embu residents, whom he said had lost confidence in how Jubilee was running party affairs in the county.
Kivuti said he will lead a delegation to the Maendeleo Chap Chap headquarters in Nairobi on Monday to officially register with the party.
He said some senior leaders in the government were controlling the party they way they wanted without involving the others.
He also said Runyenjes MP Cecily Mbarire, who is vying for Embu governor, was frustrating party members.
During the charged meeting, supporters expressed disappointment over alleged mistreatment within Jubilee party.
Participants also said they did not expect fairness within Jubilee after Embu county Speaker Kariuki Mate was allegedly appointed as director of operations in the party.
In September last year, Kivuti and Mbarire nearly came to blows during a fundraiser at Karurumo market.
The clash between the two threw the meeting into disarray after their supporters engaged in a shouting match over who should be the county’s next governor.
The legislators scrambled for a microphone and shouted at each other as they sought to address their charged supporters.
The confrontation went on for about forty minutes prompting the two combatants to leave without giving out their donations.
The police had a difficult time trying to separate the two groups of supporters, some of them had started exchanging blows.
“I cannot allow you to come to my constituency to ridicule me by launching your governor ambitions here. Couldn’t you do it at your place? You cannot shake me, this is my home ground,” Mbarire was heard shouting.
Kivuti who clutched the microphone also shouted back telling her that he had a right to be everywhere since he was the county’s senator.
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