Jubilee Party’s candidate Njama traverses Kiambaa for votes
Jubilee Party’s candidate in the Kiambaa parliamentary by-election Kariri Njama yesterday intensified his campaign reaching out to youths in all the five wards in the constituency.
Sitting Members of Parliament Peter Mwathi (Limuru), Kanini Kega (Lieni), Jeremiah Kioni (Ndaragwa), Waihenya Ndirangu (Roysambu), Ngunjiri Wambugu (Nyeri Town) and Wanjiku Kibe (Gatundu North) joined the candidate to comb the vast electoral area pleading with the youth to turn out in large numbers and vote for their candidate.
They each conducted separate campaigns where they met 1,000 youths in Muchatha, Karuri, Ndenderu, Kihara and Cianda wards where they urged them not to gamble with their lives by voting for a “stranger.”
They once again challenged renegade Jubilee MPs who are campaigning for the UDA candidate Njuguna Wanjiku to quit from the ruling party instead of demonising it from within.
“How can one shout from rooftops that their wives are cheating on them and continue with the marriage,?” posed Mwathi
“We are here to boost Njama’s campaign and to tell you to avoid being hoodwinked to join the Opposition.
I challenge MPs allied to UDA to lead by example and quit from Jubilee instead of telling people to leave the party and join UDA while they are still it’s members,”
Opposition
“Nobody goes to an election expecting to be in the Opposition. They go there hoping to be in government and therefore it would be strange if you Kiambaa people consign yourselves to the opposition bandwagon,” said who chairs the powerful parliamentary Security committee formerly held by the Paul Koinange whose death triggered the mini-poll.
Kega accused UDA of using the July 15 Kiambaa by-election as rehearsal for the 2022 General Election.
“You are being given empty promises but the government is and has actualised it’s promises particularly in rehabilitation roads and provision of clean piped water,” he said.
UDA which is associated with Deputy President William Ruto has fielded Wanjiku in the contest.
Ruto’s stalwarts Irungu Kang’ata (Murang’a senator) and MPs Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu), Kimani Ichung’wah (Kikuyu) and Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira) have pitched tent in the constituency to campaign for Wanjiku.
Gachagua said that the Kiambaa by-election will be a titanic do-or-die political battle for both UDA and Jubilee adding that its outcome would dictate which party will call the shots in Mt Kenya region during the 2022 election.
Political direction
“We are taking the Kiambaa parliamentary and Muguga ward by-elections very seriously because their outcomes will indicate the political direction the region is moving towards the 2022 polls,” he said.
Yesterday, Njama pleaded with voters to turn out in large numbers to vote for him.
“I plead with you to use your vote in choosing a leader whose leadership acumen you all know. I have been with you from 2017 and you can attest that I hardly go underground even after losing narrowly to the late Paul Koinange”, he said.
Campaigning for Njama, Kibe yesterday said a defeat will be an embarrassment for President Uhuru Kenya in his Kiambu backyard.
Others in the race are Karomo Mucugi of Federal Party, Richard Njoroge ‘Mwalimu’ who is contesting on The New Democrats Party associated with Nyeri politician Thuo Mathenge, Evans Gichia (Independent), Dr Lucy Wanjiku (independent) and David Mugo (independent).
UDA leaders, led by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria and their candidates have maintained that Jubilee “died in the Juja by-election”.
