Jubilee pulls out of Msambweni by-election in the spirit of the handshake.

Jubilee Party will not field a candidate in the upcoming Msambweni constituency by-election slated for the 15^th of December.

Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju on Wednesday September 23 during a media briefing at the Jubilee Party Headquarters, stated that the decision was arrived at following consultations within the Party despite receiving numerous enquiries from aspirants.

“Following consultations within the party, it has been decided that the Jubilee Party will not be fielding a candidate in the forthcoming Msambweni parliamentary by-election”, Tuju announced.

Tuju further claimed the recent advice by the Chief Justice David Maraga to President Uhuru Kenyatta on the dissolution of current parliament also played a key role in the party’s decision not to field a contestant.

“…the decision not to engage in the conteste is informed by the facts prevailing at the moment when we face challenges like the recent advisory by the Chief Justice that parliament should be dissolved”, Tuju stated.

The handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga has also been seen as a key reason that has made Jubilee stay away from the contest.

The by-election could have pitted Jubilee against ODM in a region believed to be an ODM stronghold, with Tuju stating that the failure by Jubilee to field a candidate, is in the interest of the bigger picture and recognizing the close working relationship between jubilee and ODM in parliament in recent times.

“With the unprecedented corporation between Jubilee and ODM in Parliament in the recent past on matters of national importance and given that this was an ODM seat, the decision has been made that Jubilee will not field a candidate in the interest of the bigger picture”, Tuju declared.

My Statement on the pending Msambweni Parliamentary By-election. pic.twitter.com/EbnTbcErvR

— Raphael Tuju (@RaphaelTuju_EGH) September 23, 2020

The Msambweni parliamentary seat was left vacant following the death of ODM legislator Suleiman Ramadhan Dori who succumbed to cancer in march 2020.