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President Uhuru Kenyatta’s team is spearheading a high level talk to strike a deal over the candidature of Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko and former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth.
Earlier, there were fears in Jubilee Party that a failed consensus between Sonko and Kenneth would rattle the presidential campaign in Nairobi.
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s party expressed concerns that subjecting some candidates to competitive primaries will create friction, open the party to infiltration, and hurt the planned campaigns.
Currently, Sonko and Kenneth are embroiled in a fiery battle for the Jubilee ticket for Nairobi’s top seat. The two are jostling to unseat ODM’s Evans Kidero.
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The scramble for the ticket has caused rifts among Nairobi MPs who are now split into two factions.
As one group backs Kenneth, another one has thrown its weight behind Sonko.
A source at the Pangani based Jubilee Party headquarters has hinted that the top brass in the party wants a consensus, refuting claims that there is a preferred candidate as earlier speculated by Mike Sonko.
“Jubilee’s top leadership wants candidates for various seats in Nairobi to reach a consensus,” said a source familiar with the behind-the-scenes schemes in the President’s party.
The source which sought anonymity also claimed that President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto have sanctioned the talks, with firm instructions that aspirants must agree.
“The leadership wants a scenario of not having party primaries in Nairobi,” the source said. Also in the talks are Jubilee parliamentary aspirants where the party has slim chances of victory. The aim is to give direct tickets to JP candidates, deemed to be strongest, in NASA strongholds.
At least five constituencies will agree on who among Jubilee aspirants will be handed direct nominations.
They include Embakasi West, Embakasi East, Ruaraka, Lang’ata and Kibra. Ruaraka has three JP aspirants.
“We must be more organised as a party so that we concentrate on the Presidential campaigns,” said another source.