This archive report was first published on 18 September 2019.
On September 18, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta met with Jubilee Party candidate McDonald Mariga at State House in Nairobi, a day after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal dismissed a case challenging Mariga's nomination for the Kibra parliamentary seat.
According to a statement from State House, President Kenyatta wished Mariga success in the contest and assured him of his full backing.
Mariga was accompanied by Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju during the meeting, which also included Deputy President William Ruto, National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale, and Jubilee Party Chief Whip Benjamin Washiali among others.
The endorsement came after Mariga survived what appeared to be his last hurdle in his quest to vie for the Kibra parliamentary seat, following the electoral commission's initial decision to lock him out of the by-election due to his non-registration as a voter.
