United Democratic Alliance party has pulled out of the Juja by-election.
UDA secretary-general Veronica Maina on Monday said the party linked to Deputy President William Ruto will not field a candidate.
“We would have really wished to but we have consulted widely including aspirants who had expressed interest in our party ticket and we resolved that since it is the widow, we should not get involved but rather wait until 2022,” she said.
UDA had initially invited aspirants to submit their applications on or before Monday, March 8 at noon to the party headquarters at Hustler Centre, Makindi Road, Nairobi.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has announced that the Juja by-election for the seat that fell vacant following the death of MP Francis Munyua will be held on May 18.
The MP who was famously known as Wakapee succumbed to brain cancer on February 22 while undergoing treatment at a Nairobi hospital.
Wakapee’s widow Susan Njeri will now have to face off with the candidate of Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria’s party- the People’s Empowerment Party (PEP).
PEP has settled on one George Koimburi to fly it’s ticket.
Kuria said he was optimistic their candidate will triumph in the by-election keenly monitored.
Koimburi, a businessman who contested for the seat in the 2017 election, came second with 10,165 votes against Wakapee's 66,190 votes.