This archive report was first published on 26 August 2019.
MacDonald Mariga, Kenya's football darling, has thrown his hat into the ring for the Kibra MP seat, a move that has sparked excitement and interest in the upcoming elections.
Mariga's decision to run for the seat comes after the elected MP, Ken Okoth, lost his battle to cancer, leaving the seat vacant.
Mariga will be battling other Jubilee aspirants for the ticket to represent the party in the upcoming elections, a move that has been welcomed by many.
However, the announcement of Mariga's candidacy has been met with controversy, with Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju initially branding the announcement as 'fake news' before later releasing an official letter confirming Mariga as one of the aspirants.
Tuju stated, 'Our analysis and consultations confirm that our Jubilee Party is competitive enough in the forthcoming political contest.'
He added, 'Following consultations within the Party Leadership with respect to Kibra Constituency, we would like to communicate to our membership that the Jubilee Party will be fielding a candidate in the forthcoming Kibra Constituency by-election scheduled for November 7, 2019.'
It is worth noting that the neighbouring Lang'ata Constituency was won by Jubilee Party candidate, contrary to conventional political analysis.
