IEBC rejects fake Jubilee letter on Kibra by-election

Journalist Dennis Itumbi is likely to get into trouble yet again after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) rejected a letter purportedly authored by Jubilee Party, which indicated it will field a candidate in the Kibra.

However, the electoral agency declined to act on it after the party dismissed it as fake and instead dispatched it to Jubilee “for information and further action.”

@IEBCKenya received a letter, on Monday 26th August 2019 at 5pm, forwarding names of aspirants of Jubilee Party for the Kibra by election. However, it has come to the attention of the Commission that Jubilee Party has denied authoring the said letter and termed it as FAKE. ^EA

— IEBC (@IEBCKenya) August 27, 2019

The spotlight is likely to be on Itumbi, who was the State House Director of Digital Communications but now almost entirely covers Deputy President William Ruto, as he has been insisting on social media platforms defending the letter as genuine.

I stand by my update on the Kibra By-Election. Jubilee is going for Party Primaries. @IEBCKenya has the letter as attached. #SystemYaFacts pic.twitter.com/kSmoI4uCs8

— Dennis Itumbi, HSC (@OleItumbi) August 26, 2019

Itumbi is already in court in connection with a letter purporting there was a plot by Cabinet Secretaries from Mt Kenya region and others to assassinate Ruto.

Itumbi is accused of posting the letter in a WhatsApp group of the Tangatanga team allied to Ruto.

He denied the charges and was released on  a Ksh 100,000 cash bail and is barred from posting about the case on his social media platforms.

The letter has ruffled feathers within Jubilee as it has stated that it will not challenge Raila Odinga’s ODM in the by-election that resulted from the death of ODM MP Ken Okoth.

The letter that bore the signature of Secretary General Raphael Tuju said that the decision was arrived at after consultations.

It invited members interested in vying for the party’s ticket to apply to the National Elections Board (NEB).

Among those who were said to be interested in the Jubilee ticket was former Harambee Stars captain McDonald Mariga.

Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja had earlier pledged that the ruling party will not field a candidate in the by-election in solidarity with the late MP.

In the spirit of the handshake, Jubilee didn’t field candidates in Migori senatorial polls and early this year, it withdrew from Ugenya and Embakasi South by-elections.

editor [at] businesstoday.co.ke