Thirty key members of the Opposition - MPs, governors, Senators and MCAs – decamped to the new Jubilee Party on Friday, a day before the party's National Convention Delegates Conference at Safaricom Stadium.
Cord affiliates: Kalonzo Musyoka's Wiper Democratic Movement and Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement were the worst hit while independence party, Kanu, too, suffered the defection wave.
Jubilee is expected to receive more defectors on Saturday before newly-confirmed Party Leader - President Uhuru Kenyatta - addresses the close to 10,000 delegates and invited guests and unveil the UhuRuto re-election vehicle, at the 60,000-seater sports facility.
Friday's defectors were received by Deputy President William Ruto who said more than 41 MPs will be defecting to the new party in the presence of the President. "We will have more than 41 MPs joining us from other opposition parties tomorrow," said Mr Ruto.
National Assembly Leader of Majority Aden Duale said the defection of the elected leaders was a sign that Jubilee would reflect the unity of the county.
The defectors included Wiper's Regina Ndambuki (Kilome MP), Joe Mutambu (Mwingi Central), Munuve Mati (Mwingi North), Michael Munyao (Mbooni) while ODM lost Mpuri Aburi (Tigania East), Isaac Mwaura (Nominated), Samuel Arama (Nakuru West), John Waluke (Sirisia) and Steven Kariuki (Mathare), Gideon Mungaro (Kilifi North), Mustafa Idd (Kilifi South), and Joseph Lekuton (Laisamis).
Kanu, which was previously party of the Jubilee Alliance in the 2013 election but has been hesitant to dissolve to join the new outfit lost Prof. Hellen Sambili (Mogotio), Samuel Moroto (Kapenguria), Eric Keter (Belgut) and Moses Cheboi ( Kuresoi North).
The other MPs Victor Munyaka (Machakos Town), Peter Shehe (Ganze), Turkana East's Nicholas Ngikor and Loima's Protus Akuja are expected to cross in the presence of Uhuru. Turkana Senator John Munyes (Ford Kenya) also announced that he had defected to the new party.
Governors who defected to Jubilee included Simon Kachapin (West Pokot, Kanu), Issa Timamy. (Lamu, UDF) and Ukur Yattani (Marsabit, ODM). Deputy President William Ruto announced that Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya and a host of others would defect at official defect tomorrow.
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