Former senior presidential economic advisor Moses Kuria has pushed back against claims that he and the Chama Cha Kazi party were involved in a plan to divide the opposition vote in the Mbeere North by-election.
He said the accusations being circulated after Thursday’s vote were baseless and appeared aimed at shifting blame rather than addressing what happened at the ballot.
In a detailed statement on Saturday, Kuria said he found it strange that some groups were insisting CCK had fielded a candidate to interfere with the contest.
He stressed that neither he nor the party had entered into any arrangements with other players that were later broken.“I am amused by those saying the CCK party, and I were on a mission to divide votes in Mbeere North,” Kuria said.
“Did we have a deal with anyone that we failed to honour? Were we even approached for a deal and declined?”
Kuria explained that CCK settled on Duncan Mbui after he was dropped and argued that they had acted within their mandate as a political party.
He said the same critics pointing fingers at CCK should explain why opposition groups did not put forward a unified contender, yet UDA had managed to bring its members together behind its final choice.
“We picked Hon Duncan Mbui after he was dropped. UDA united all aspirants who lost to (MP-elect Leo) Wamuthende in the nominations. Why didn’t the opposition do the same?” he said on X.
He also highlighted that the ballot had several other contenders, insisting that it was unfair to single out CCK or its candidate for the outcome.
“There were five other candidates other than (DCP's Newton) Karish, Wamuthende and Mbui. Who had sent these other five?” he asked.
Kuria dismissed the idea that he had the power to swing the vote, noting he was the only politician from outside the constituency who joined Mbui’s campaign.
He argued that the main challenger, Karish, had campaigned with the backing of well-known political figures and still fell short.
“How do I garner 2,480 votes when I am alone, enough to spoil your votes?” he asked.
He further said that UDA’s final tally showed the opposition misread the race and was now blaming the wrong target.
“How does the opposition allow UDA to garner over 15,000 votes in Mt Kenya and then blame one with only 2,480 votes?” he said.
Kuria also defended the position of CCK in the political scene, reminding critics that the party had existed for several years and regularly presented candidates in elections.
“CCK was formed on 17 August 2021. We have been around long before other parties. The business of parties is sponsoring candidates,” he said.
The by-election ended with UDA’s Leo Wamuthende taking the seat after securing 15,802 votes, slightly ahead of Newton Karish who received 15,308. The win strengthened UDA’s position in Embu County and left opposition parties reviewing their performance.
