COUNTY POLITICS: Aspirants jostle for Jubilee, PNU tickets in bid for House seats

There are two clear camps in the race for Meru’s 10 National Assembly seats in the August elections. One is aligned to Governor Peter Munya and the other to Senator Kiraitu Murungi, who will be going against each other for the governor’s position.

Most incumbent MPs are in Mr Murungi’s camp having broken ranks with Governor Munya accusing him of being a lone ranger.

Consequently, the governor has been forced to come up with his own team in the Party of National Unity which he leads.

Some of those serving in his administration in ministerial and other senior positions are running for National Assembly seats.

DOMINANT PARTY

Although Jubilee is widely seen as the dominant party in Meru, PNU cannot be wished away since with some measure of success, it has positioned itself as Jubilee-friendly which supports the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta despite efforts by allies of Mr Ruto, especially Aden Duale and Mr Murungi to disown it.

As a result, PNU has been attracting many aspirants who fear they will get a raw deal in the Jubilee primaries. The yoke to break from Jubilee dominance has also forced some current MPs to seek alternative political vehicles while others will vie as independents.

Meru County has nine constituencies including Igembe North, Igembe South, Igembe Central, Tigania East, Tigania West, Buuri, North Imenti, Central Imenti and South Imenti.

The incumbents include Joseph M’Eruaki (TNA), Mithika Linturi (TNA), Kubai Iringo (ODM), Mpuru Aburi (ODM), David Karithi (TNA), Kinoti Gatobu (Independent), Rahim Dawood (APK), Gideon Mwiti (APK) and Kathuri Murungi (TNA) respectively.

Meru Woman representative Florence Kajuju (TNA) is also a vocal critic of Mr Munya’s administration.

SUPPORT MUNYA REELECTION

Currently, only Mr Karithi (Tigania West) has gone public in support of Mr Munya’s re-election while Mr Dawood (North Imenti) is undecided.

The differences between Mr Munya and the legislators started in late 2013 after MPs expressed dissatisfaction with the governor’s leadership style, terming him a lone ranger.

Some accused the Council of Governors chairman of failing to pick their calls and denying them access to his office. However, Mr Murungi remained a close friend of Mr Munya until he decided to dissolve the Alliance Party of Kenya (APK).

Earlier attempts to mend fences among the Meru leaders led to the formation of the Meru Elected Political Leaders Forum in October 2014.

The forum was to be chaired by Mr Murungi, with Mr Linturi (Igembe South) as its secretary and Governor Munya as the convener.

However, the forum never took off as the differences escalated.

DEMOLITION OF KIOSKS

Mr M’Eruaki (Igembe North) differed with Mr Munya over a plan by the county government to establish the Nyambene conservancy.

In Imenti North, Mr Dawood backed by Mr Aburi (Tigania East) led massive demonstrations in Meru town protesting the demolition of kiosks by the county government.

Mr Kinoti (Buuri) has been at loggerheads with Mr Munya over development projects in the constituency.

Mr Linturi, who is now vying for the Senate seat, said the MPs pushed Mr Murungi to vie for the gubernatorial seat ‘to save Meru from bad leadership’.

In September 2015, Mr Linturi, Mr Iringo, Mr Aburi, Mr Dawood and Ms Kajuju held a meeting and asked Mr Murungi to vie for governorship.

STRONG CANDIDATE

In Imenti South, MP Murungi who is vying as an independent is seen as a strong candidate and is facing three opponents including Meru County Assembly Deputy Speaker Gideon Kimathi of Jubilee. Other aspirants are Dr Shadrack Mwiti, and Mr Mwiti Kathara also in Jubilee,

In Central Imenti, the race is between the incumbent Mwiti (independent), Meru County Secretary Julius Kimathi (PNU), Mr Mwenda Makathimo, the executive director of Land Development and Governance Institute, and Democratic Party’s Moses Nthurima, an official of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers.

Former MP and lawyer Gitobu Imanyara has also joined the race on a Maendeleo Chap Chap ticket as has Jubilee’s Kirima Nguchine, also a lawyer.

In North Imenti, Mr Dawood (Jubilee) faces stiff opposition from former Interior PS Mutea Iringo also in Jubilee, former MP Silas Muriuki of Mazingira Party, Meru branch Law Society of Kenya chairman Ken Muriuki (Narc Kenya) and Ms Beatrice Karwitha of Chap Chap.

WEALTHIER RIVALS

In Buuri, Mr Kinoti is a force to reckon with having surprised many in 2013 when he trounced wealthier rivals. Mr Gatobu has ditched the parliamentary for the Meru gubernatorial race.

His exit favours Jubilee’s Mugambi Rindikiri, who lost in 2013, PNU’s Mugambi Angaine, son of Kenya’s first lands minister Jackson Harvester Angaine.

Ms Kajuju, the Woman Rep, has been vocal in defending Miraa farmers and her efforts led to the formation of a select committee of the National Assembly to look into problems facing the sector.

Ms Kajuju of Jubilee is facing stiff opposition from local media owner Kawira Mwangaza who was welcomed into the party by Deputy President William Ruto.

Ms Mwangaza’s entry into Jubilee has complicated mathematics for Ms Kajuju who has severally declined requests to step down for her competitor in Jubilee seen as an equal match.

Former 2013 contestant Elizabeth Kailemia ditched Jubilee for PNU and is expected to be the party’s flagbearer.

Additional reporting by Kennedy Kimanthi