The running mate for Trans Nzoia gubernatorial candidate Jim Whakungu defected to his opponent George Natembeya’s team.
Addressing the media after the defection, Luke Naibei said he took the decision after the Sabaot community convinced him to step down in order to consolidate the community votes under one basket of gubernatorial candidate George Natembeya, who had also picked a Sabaot running mate, Philomena Binea.
Naibei said Natembeya’s ambition is great and staying in team Wakhungu as a running mate could be aiding him (Naibei) to commit political suicide.
He warned Wakhungu not to use his image as a running mate, lest their relationship escalate in the legal system.
Natembeya appreciated Luke Naibei for the bold decision to challenge other opponents watching from the fence to join him and be accommodated earlier.
In response to Naibei’s decision, Wakhungu said the defection does not affect his ambition and Naibei’s image will continue to appear in his posters until August 9th.
“I used a lot of resources to print those posters and vanishing at this late hour is not encouraging. Therefore, I will continue using the posters I made and he won’t threaten me with lawyers because I also have them, including Nelson Havi and Paul Muite, among others,” he said.
Wakhungu added that he funded Naibei’s political ambition when he was vying for Saboti MCA before picked him as running mate.
Wakhungu said he will only erase the name of Naibei from his posters if only the IEBC removes him as his running mate. That is not possible because the window for replacement has elapsed.
Mike Musungu is a reporter at Radio Simba in Bungoma and a correspondent of Trans Nzoia County for the Western Kenya Times.
