This archive report was first published on 16 December 2019.
Published on December 16, 2019, Jubilee secretary-general Raphael Tuju has shed light on the party's complicated relationship with Mike Sonko, who was its candidate for Nairobi Governor in the 2017 elections.
According to Tuju, the party had reservations about Sonko's candidature, but was ultimately forced to give him a ticket due to overwhelming public support.
'Sonko's candidature was a bit complicated,' Tuju explained. 'We tried our best to ensure that the choice we took was that of the people. The people were calling out for him. Would you want to blame the party or the people who elected him?'
Tuju noted that Sonko was enjoying significant support in Nairobi at the time and dropping him would have dealt the party a significant blow.
'Really what could we have done? If we rejected him, our opponents were waiting to snap him up,' Tuju added.
Fast forward to 2023, Sonko is facing a graft case and has been barred from accessing his office. He was released on a cash bail of Sh15 million after pleading not guilty to over 10 corruption charges related to the alleged misappropriation of public funds amounting to Sh357 million.
