Karungo Wa Thang’wa has revealed that he quit The Service Party due to pressure from supporters and the strong UDA wave in Kiambu.
Until a week ago, Karungo had been TSP’s organising secretary. The party was founded by former Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri in June last year.
In a recent interview with the Star, the former Ngewa ward MCA in Kiambu county (2013-2017) said he had no choice but to listen to his supporters.
“In the recent past, I have received texts, chats, calls and delegations that majority of Kiambu people are ready to vote for me. However, they said I have to be on the right side of Kiambu politics and that is in UDA,”he said.
This will be Karungo’s second attempt at the Kiambu Senator seat. He told Kiunjuri that he stands a better chance through a UDA ticket.
“Through prayers and soul searching, I have come to the realisation that time has come for me to make an inspired political move. A move geared towards realising my dream of becoming the Senator for Kiambu ,” he said.
He added, “The voice of the people has prevailed and today I have decided to be with my people. To serve Kiambu people as their Senator is the ultimate goal and being where my Kiambu people want me to be is my delight.”
In the 2017 Jubilee Party primaries, the youthful politician who ruffled feathers with former Kiambu governor William Kabogo gave senator Kimani Wamatangi a run for his money.
Wamatangi won with 206,282 votes as Karungo came second with 178,814 votes.
When former governor Ferdinand Waititu was sworn into office in 2017, he appointed Karungo as the Sports and Youth Affairs executive. He held the position until he was sacked when governor James Nyoro took office.
He was a close ally of Waititu and when Nyoro, then acting governor, withdrew official cars assigned to two of his colleagues, Karungo also surrendered his in show of solidarity.
He told the Star that he has always stood for justice and the good of the people of Kiambu, adding that he is ready to battle it out with his competitors for the UDA ticket.
“In TSP I had the ticket but I have decided to square it out with other aspirants for the UDA ticket.
“UDA is the party of choice for the people of Kiambu and Mt Kenya at large. If you take a walk around Mt Kenya, you will discover that the Deputy President and UDA are extremely popular,” he said.
“At the end of the day, politics is local and you go by what the electorates and more so your supporters are saying.
“The wave of change through UDA is strong and Kenyans are looking forward to better days, after the ruling Jubilee was mismanaged and has thus run down the economy of our beloved country,” he added. BY THE STAR