Munya’s defection to Nasa not a surprise, says Kiraitu Murungi
Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi and his deputy Titus Ntuchiu speak to journalists on September 4, 2017. Mr Murungi said Mr Munya committed political suicide by joining Nasa. PHOTO | DAVID MUCHUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- He said it was an open secret that Mr Munya was in Nasa “and was principal number six after Mr Isaac Ruto’’.
- He described Mr Munya’s move to Nasa as political suicide in Meru.
- Murungi challenged Mr Munya to make good his threat to petition his election in court.
Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi has dismissed the defection of his predecessor and bitter rival Peter Munya to the opposition National Super Alliance (Nasa), saying it was not a surprise to the county’s residents.
Speaking Monday in Meru, Mr Murungi said Mr Munya has been a senior member of Nasa.
“The move has vindicated our earlier statements that Mr Munya was a Nasa mole. He was hiding behind Uhuru to gain political mileage,” Governor Murungi said.
According to the Meru governor, it was an open secret that Mr Munya was in Nasa “and was principal number six after Mr Isaac Ruto’’ but could not go public with it during the campaigns because it was risky for him given that Meru is a Jubilee zone.
“We know that his campaigns were financed by Nasa and that is why there were frequent trips by Raila, Wetang’ula, Joho and even Mudavadi and they always came and urged Meru people to vote for Munya,’’ Governor Murungi said.
POLITICAL SUICIDE
He described Mr Munya’s move to Nasa as political suicide in Meru and that the outspoken politician “had dug his own political grave because there is no Mmeru who will support him in Nasa”.
“We are not at all surprised by Munya’s announcement that he is going to Nasa. We have said it before and even said so during campaigns that he was in Nasa and (was) principal number six after (former Bomet governor) Mr Isaac Ruto,’’ Mr Murungi told Nation.
PETITION
At the same time, Governor Murungi challenged Mr Munya to make good his threat to petition his election in court saying he is not worried by it and that the former governor would not succeed because “it will be a further disaster in his (Munya’s) political career in Meru”.
“He thinks because the Supreme Court decided to nullify Uhuru Kenyatta’s election on the basis of some technicalities [it can also] nullify my election on the basis of legal technicalities,’’ the governor said.
“But all the people know that IEBC did an excellent job in Meru and they delivered a free, fair, transparent election in accordance with the Constitution and all electoral laws and the people of Meru freely expressed their will, rejecting him as the governor of Meru,’’ Mr Murungi added.
