Campaigns for the Mbeere North parliamentary race are taking shape ahead of the November 27 by-election. Mbeere North: Mbarire Feels the Heat, Asks IEBC to Bar Gachagua from Campaigning for DP Candidate Source: Facebook The frontrunners in the race are Leonard Muthende of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party and Newton Karish, the Democratic Party of Kenya (DP) candidate. Former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua is on the ground campaigning for Karish, who is the joint United Opposition candidate in the Mbeere North by-election. Since Sunday, November 16, Gachagua has been conducting door-to-door campaigns, urging the residents to vote for the opposition candidate.
But Governor Cecil Mbarire now wants the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to bar Gachagua from campaigning for the DP candidate. Mbarire lodged a formal complaint at Ishiara Police Station, accusing Gachagua of plotting to disrupt the UDA rallies. She also claimed that the mobilised group was given UDA-branded T-shirts in an attempt to frame the UDA and its candidate, Leonard Muthende, if violence were to erupt. “Those being mobilised are being mobilised by DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua. For the last one month, Mbeere North has enjoyed peaceful campaigns. It is unfortunate that Gachagua and his allies are plotting to disturb that peace. We do not support any form of violence. Violence begets violence, and you can never win through it,” Mbarire said. UDA’s legal counsel, Adrian Kamotho, backed Mbarire’s concerns, questioning the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) presence in the Mbeere North by-election. According to Kamotho, DCP have no candidate in the Mbeere North by-election; hence, they can easily cause chaos, as they have not signed the election code of conduct with IEBC. UDA asked the electoral commission to block Gachagua and his DCP party from campaigning for the DP candidate. “The DCP party has no mandate in Mbeere North politics. They have not signed the election code of conduct since they have no candidate. They should stop orchestrating plans to cause chaos,” Kamotho said.
By Amos Khaemba
