Gatundu South Member of Parliament has finally reacted after Tujibebe Party Leader William Kabogo showed signs of supporting Azimio La Umoja Presidential candidate Raila Odinga in the upcoming August general polls,
Kuria urged the Tujibebe Wakenya Party leader to officially declare that he has joined Azimio La Umoja Movement instead of being a fence sitter.
āPick your side as there is no perfect house. Declare your political stand and donāt sit on the fence. Stop using grievances as excuses to bolt out. He should declare if he is in Azimio. Those who are donāt hide and still have their votes, let him leave. Time is up there is no third horse. He is my friend and my brother and I wish him well,ā Kuria said.
On Saturday, Ā KabogoĀ asked resident drawn from Kiambu region who are supporters of Azimio One Kenya Alliance coalition Presidential candidate Raila Odinga to consider voting for him in the upcoming August polls.
In a video that has since gone viral, Kabogo hinted at drumming up support for Raila to be elected president in the upcoming August 9 General Election.
āMimi naomba wafuasi wa Raila Odinga. Ukipigia Raila, pigia governor Kabogo ( I am asking Raila Odingaās supporters to vote for him as president and I as governor). Are we together? He posed amid cheers from residents.
This comes days after Kabogo cut ties with Deputy President William Rutoās Kenya Kwanza alliance after weeks of a standoff.
Kabogo and his challenger ā hopeful Kiambu governor Moses Kuria of Chama Cha Kazi ā had been embroiled in a political supremacy tussle with UDAās top leadership over the oppression of their parties to the advantage of Rutoās preferred candidates.
The two had been seeking an address by Kenya Kwanza principles who they had requested to organize a meeting to deliberate on their complaints and chart a way forward.
However, Moses Kuria ended hostilities with UDA as he joined the allianceās deputy presidential running mate Rigathi Gachagua on his campaign trail in Nakuru on Wednesday, June 22, 2022.
While Kuria rejoined the UDA campaign caravan, Kabogo campaigned alone in several parts of Kiambu on Wednesday.
Speaking during an interview on a local TV station on Wednesday night, Kabogo said he had stopped campaigning for Ruto and that he now tells locals in Kiambu to vote for their own preferred presidential candidates.
āLife has to go on. I am now focusing on my campaign for Kiambu Governor. There are several presidential candidates and some of these things are a blessing in disguise. I was in Githurai today, I asked them to vote for their preferred candidate but vote me in as the governor,ā he said.
The former Kiambu governor further lamented that small parties from Mount Kenya region were being sidelined in Kenya Kwanza campaigns.
āAs small parties in Mount Kenya Region, we are not included in the planning of campaign activities. The campaigns also drum support for UDA only. Even the Deputy President-designate campaigns for UDA, and not Kenya Kwanza coalition,ā he added.
He further expressed regret for joining the Ruto-led coalition.
āI am not surprised because I know most politicians in Kenya are deceits. They see othersā mistakes, not themselves. People talked to me about joining this coalition but I insisted. It was a coalition of convenience,ā Kabogo lamented.
āI have moved on as the party leader of Tujibebe. I have not spoken to Chama Cha Kaziās Moses Kuria in the last two days. I donāt know his moves. We imagined it would go smoothly,ā Kabogo added.