Roots Party presidential running mate, Justina Wamae, has defended her move to expose her party leader, George Luchiri Wajackoyah, as a supporter of Azimio la Umoja’s Raila Odinga.

Speaking on Thursday, August 4, on KTN News, Wamae detailed that she was compelled to make that statement to affirm her position in the party and as Wajackoyah’s running mate.

She maintained that her public statement proved that top principals can differ in ideologies without throwing tantrums at each other.

“What I did yesterday was simply underpinning my boss’s view. My boss had given feedback, there was a party statement and we have been accused of being a project previously.

“So I represent a constituent of women and youth, and they were telling me if you keep quiet, you come out as a flower girl. So I had to put out my voice, and my boss was aware of it,”
she explained.

Wamae ruled out joining either Azimio or Kenya Kwanza, insisting that her candidature together with Wajackoyah will go all the way to the ballot.

“As of now, my boss and I are not in any conflict and I respect the direction Roots Party is taking to ensure that Kenyans see politics as a different thing of not being sycophants, you can raise your voice,”
Wamae remarked.

According to Wamae, her statement raised the party’s stake, which she stated was nosediving in recent opinion polls.

Wamae had accused her boss of going against Roots Party and supporting the former Prime Minister without consulting her.

She maintained that she would not support Azimio if the party takes that stand.

“It is true Wajackoyah is supporting Azimio but we have not discussed that as a party.

“If we need to take a stand on who to support, I will support the contrary. We have been branded a project twice but we have not agreed as a party,”
she stated.

Local News

Kisumu County: Gov’t issues new orders ahead of August elections

August 4, 2022 Ian Amulega

The County Government of Kisumu on Thursday, August 4, ordered all bars, nightclubs, lodgings, and markets to be closed from midnight August 8 to 5 pm August 9 to encourage more voters to turn up for the election.

In a directive issued by acting City Manager Abala Wanga, the county noted that the order would prevent residents from overindulging in alcohol among other pleasures, and fail to vote.

With the social joints closed, Wanga noted that voters would easily go to polling stations without many disruptions.

“On August 8, we are going to close all bars, clubs, shops, markets, and lodgings as early as midnight and all activities stopped except the Boda Boda riders who will be allowed to ferry voters to the polling stations,”
said Wanga.

He further assured city residents that the county had their best interests and that no one would be forced to vote. He, however, stated that those with ink on their finger – an indication of voting- would enjoy the services later.

In addition, the government official reached out to the Kisumu Bar Owners Association Chairman Daniel Maneno Ouma to ensure that the directive was implemented.

“We had consulted with the city manager and we will ensure that we close in time and monitor clients who have no ink on their fingers. They will not be admitted to the bar,”
stated Ouma.

The government official added that a letter was also being crafted to direct supermarkets to comply. Residents were also urged to do their shopping early before the facilities were closed.

This directive came after Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i declared Tuesday, August 9 a public holiday to give Kenyans ample time to cast their votes for the next government.

Bob Onyona, a bar owner, assured the county government of total compliance. He noted that plans were underway to ensure employees got to travel on Sunday to their registered polling stations and exercise their civic duty.

“This will afford the people of Kenya the opportunity to participate in the 2022 General Election and elect Members of Parliament, Members of County Assemblies and County Governors, and the President.”

The CS’s directive was fueled by the increased calls from political leader.

Local News

CJ Martha Koome issues new directive on lawyers’ dress code

August 4, 2022 Ian Amulega

Chief Justice Martha Karambu Koome has issued a waiver on periwigs – the most precious garment worn by advocates during admission to the bar.

The historic declaration by Chief Justice will see the garment – which is considered an achievement by fresh legal graduates – those being admitted to the bar opt to attend the event without donning it.

The announcement by the CJ was done on Thursday, August 4, just a day before the Judiciary admits 774 advocates to the bar to join their colleagues in the legal profession. This will be the highest number of admissions to be done at once in the country.

The decision for waiver is based on the high number of graduates who applied for the admission, with those able to access the garment being encouraged to do so.

“Having been notified of the difficulty in securing periwigs due to the high number of petitioners, I hereby waive this requirement for this particular ceremony,”
CJ Koome declared.

Despite its simple appearance, one periwig goes for Ksh35,000. This means the Judiciary would bag Ksh27 million in a single day should advocates stay the CJ’s decision.

This has, however, not been welcomed by some advocates who argue that the CJ’s move is simplistic.

They argue that the CJ has subverted the court procedures and that she has no jurisdiction to implement the waiver.

“Only Parliament can do that by amending the Judicature Act Campaign Section 3,”
Martin Nyakundi, a lawyer and a lecturer at Mount Kenya University, stated.

According to Nyakundi, the Judicature provides that procedures and practice of English Court, July 10, 1897, should proceed and that what the CJ has done is not tenable.

The Kenyan legal profession is among renown sectors that conflate with substance, or the dignity of office with garb.

The profession comes with its stature and one feels well identified with a periwig, better known as advocate wig, on top of their heads.

Local News

Roots Party’s Justina Wamae goes head-on Mutahi Ngunyi in heated confrontation

August 4, 2022 Ian Amulega

Roots Party presidential running mate, Justina Wamae, and political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi engaged in a heated exchange following her claims that her boss, George Luchiri Wajackoyah, was indirectly campaigning for Raila Odinga and the Azimio La Umoja.

Wamae clapped back at Ngunyi who poked holes at her statement where she allegedly confirmed allegations that Wajackoyah was an Azimio mole.

The outspoken running mate could, however, not hold back after the pro-Azimio analyst suggested that she made the claims to appease Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

“From where I sit, you cannot purport to speak for me or Roots Party. Eat Azimio’s money in silence, once you have your fill, keep mum (Ukishiba funika tumbo),”
Wamae told off Ngunyi.

Wamae – in a bare knuckle attack on the self proclaimed political scientist – asked Ngunyi to use his media company, the Fifth Estate, to break down to the public the meaning of a mole.

The political pundit questioned the feasibility of Wajackoyah being Raila’s mole in the Roots Party – which he termed as a junior party compared to the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya.

“So what if Wajakoyah is a Baba mole? Is he for Baba at the Roots Party, which he owns? Do not insult his intelligence. This Justina Wamae is not making sense. Or is she making an argument to be moled by UDA?”
Ngunyi posed.

Wamae renounced herself from any political project ahead of the August 9 polls and stood by her affirmation that no leader should be imposed on the Kenyan electorate.

“I cannot say that youth and women are not pageboys and flower girls respectively then cow when needed to be independent minded,”
she reiterated.

The storm in the Roots Party tea cup began after a video of Wajackoyah allegedly endorsing the former Prime Minister at a recreation joint went viral.

Through spokesperson Wilson Muirani, Wajackoyah dismissed the claims that he was backing Raila’s presidential bid.

“We would like to categorically state that we have a presidential candidate who is on the ballot and will win this election. We have not and will not endorse any other candidate,”
Muirani noted.

However, while being interviewed by Citizen TV, Wamae confirmed the allegations but noted that she and her party boss had not discussed the decision at length.