The fight to succeed Murang’a governor Mwangi Wa Iria has taken shape after one of the aspirants announced that he had received a direct ticket from the Jubilee party.
Jamleck Kamau said he will vie on the Jubilee party ticket and that he was the only one to have paid for the party’s nomination by Friday which he said was the last day for the payment.
Kamau has for a while insisted that he is unwilling to participate in party primaries claiming the Jubilee party conducted shambolic nominations in 2017 that saw many deserving leaders locked out.
He has however announced that he made the decision to vie through the Jubilee party after conducting widespread consultations with his supporters across the country.
This followed concerns from some quarters that he risked influencing his chances negatively by vying through the party that has grown largely unpopular in the Central region.
“It is very important for people to know that I did not make this decision alone. Just today, I met with over 5,000 delegates and they have told me that it is the right decision and even those who think it is a wrong move will eventually see that I am right,” he said.
The party has in the recent past embarked on a popularization drive aimed at ensuring it bags the majority of the elective seats and has been meeting opinion leaders across all the seven constituencies in Murang’a County led by former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth.
The president is expected to visit the county in the near future in a bid to rally locals behind him as the elections draw near.
He is also expected to grace Kamau’s launch for the governor bid and lobby for him.
But Kamau underscored that he is not banking on any external support to clinch the seat, exuding confidence that he will win regardless of the party he will use.
Kamau was previously rumoured to have had his eyes on Chama Cha Kazi with many speculating that he would vie through the party led by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria.
He however said that many parties wooed him to be their candidate and that that is why it took him a while to make a definite decision.
“It did not surprise me that many parties were after me because every party wants to field a strong candidate,” Kamau said while meeting his supporters at Muthithi PCEA church in Kigumo constituency on Friday.
He however noted that the majority of the parties were engaging in many shenanigans and hatched plans to engage in favouritism.
“I have done my mathematics. I am a seasoned politician. Leadership is not about following people blindly but about showing people the right way. I am confident that I will win,” said Kamau who made his first stint at the seat in 2017 but lost to Wa Iria in the Jubilee party primaries.
He also pointed out that the electorate will not vote for leaders based on their political vehicles but on their development records.
Kamau made the announcement just a week after ex-water principal secretary Wairagu wa Maai revealed that he would vie through the Democratic Party (DP) founded by former President Mwai Kibaki.
Wairagu made the announcement while launching his bid at Kimorori grounds in Kenol, Maragua constituency.
On his part, Senator Irungu Kang’ata is the sole candidate for the UDA party, with the party leader William Ruto expected in the county on Sunday to lobby for his party’s candidates.
Former devolution principal secretary Irungu Nyakera will vie using the Farmers’ Party.
Former National Irrigation Authority chairperson Joshua Toro is yet to announce his party of choice but has also said that he is not willing to participate in nominations.
Ahadi Kenya CEO Stanley Kamau is also yet to decide on a party as is woman representative Sabina Chege who has been very active in lobbying for support for the Azimio La Umoja alliance. BY THE STAR