No rallies in Juja, two weeks to the polls
Petitioner William Kabogo celebrates after a Nairobi court nullified the election of George Thuo as the Juja MP in April. Photo/ FILE
Aspirants for the Juja constituency seat have been conducting low-key campaigns, with only two weeks to the September 20 by-election.
Instead of addressing public rallies, the 10 aspirants have been traversing the vast and populous constituency in vehicles mounted with loud speakers and bearing their posters in a bid to woo the 189,000 voters.
The area head of police, Mr Paul Leting, said none of the candidates had applied for a licence to hold a rally since the campaign period officially kicked off last Monday. Those in the race for the September 20 by-election include former MPs Stephen Ndicho of Agano Party, William Kabogo (Narc Kenya) and George Thuo (PNU).
Others are Dick Githaiga (ODM), Francis Gaitho (Safina), Mary Kirika (ODM Kenya), Charles Muchai (DP), Alice Ng’ang’a (Kenya National Congress), David Kigwe (Farmers Party) and Jackson Ngoima (NAP-K).
The seat fell vacant following a successful petition filed by Mr Kabogo challenging Mr Thuo’s election. Those seen to have intensified their campaigns include Mr Kabogo, Ms Ng’ang’a, Mr Ndicho, Mr Ngoima, Mr Thuo and Mr Muchai.
Ms Ng’ang’a, who has the backing of Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth and several other legislators allied to him, has erected billboards bearing her pictures in Thika town, besides pasting her posters all over the constituency. The same applies to Mr Kabogo whose posters are placed side by side with those of Ms Ng’ang’a.
Mr Kabogo, who represented the area from 2002 to 2007 when he lost to Mr Thuo, was previously known to fly around in his private chopper but not this time round. “I stopped using the chopper after realising that my opponents were using this mode of campaign to undermine me,” he told voters in Thika recently. He has the support of Narc Kenya chairperson and Gichugu MP Martha Karua.
Should either of the two women in the race – Ms Ng’ang’a or Mrs Kirika – capture the seat, it will be the first time for the constituency, and the larger Kiambu district, to be represented by a woman. The only woman from the region to enter Parliament was Rose Waruhiu who was a nominated MP in the 1980s.
Mr Thuo enjoys the support of PNU bigwigs led by Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta. Mr Kenyatta’s presence in the campaign is likely to influence a large chunk of voters given that his family has interests in farming and various businesses in the constituency where they have a sizeable workforce.
The PNU candidate also got a boost following the withdrawal from the race of Mr Francis Munyua Waititu of Chama Cha Mwananchi who works for the Kenyatta family.
Two terms
Mr Ndicho, who served two terms from 1992 and is also an evangelist, commands some following in Thika municipality, Juja and Gatuanyaga divisions. Newcomers Ngoima and Gaitho, who are the youngest candidates, have been wooing the youth to vote for them.
Mr Gaitho was in the news recently when he was sued by Mr Thuo for allegedly maligning him in a social website regarding his performance as an MP but the case has since been withdrawn. He has the support of Safina leader Paul Muite.Mr Muchai, a director of Family Bank and former high school principal, has contested the seat twice in 1997 and 2002.
Mr Githaiga, a former nominated councillor in Thika municipality, suffered a setback recently when two of his campaign vehicles were involved in serious accidents.
