Former Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi’s Devolution Empowerment Party (DEP) is set to join President-elect William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
The 13 MCAs of the Meru County Assembly elected on the DEP ticket and 13 elected on United Democratic Alliance ticket were holed up in a meeting at Dr Ruto’s Karen residence Friday morning, according to a top DEP official.
“We are having tea at Ruto’s Karen residence awaiting the announcement,” said an official who did not wish to be named since negotiations had not yet been completed.
Before the August 9 elections, Mr Murungi braved a barrage of attacks from UDA followers and the party wave in Meru with Dr Ruto urging him to abandon Raila Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja coalition but he stayed put.
Initially dismissed as a political novice, Ms Kawira Mwangaza (Independent) handed Mr Murungi a shocking defeat in the elections. Ms Mwangaza immediately joined Kenya Kwanza.
Ms Mwangaza who had served as Woman Rep since 2017 pulled a surprise by garnering 209,148 votes against her closest challenger, former senator Mithika Linturi who got 183,859 votes while Mr Murungi garnered 110,814 votes.
DEP got 13 seats against UDA’s 12 and after postponement of Nyaki West ward elections following anomalies in the ballot papers, DEP hoped to win the seat and command a majority at the assembly.
However, the seat was won by Frederick Mubichi (UDA) which resulted to a tie of 13 seats each for the two parties. This was a repeat of the 2017 elections when Jubilee Party and Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya’s Party of National Unity (PNU) tied at 13 seats each.
In the August elections, Mr Murungi’s DEP secured 13 MCA seats, UDA (13), Jubilee (six), PNU (five), Independent (five), National Ordinary People’s Empowerment Union (Nopeu) (two), DP (one) and DPK (one).
More to follow….
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