Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia last evening dropped his deputy Cicilia Mbuthia and picked Joseph Mbugua, the regional director of the Kenya Rural Roads Authority, as his running mate.
The announcement was made a few hours after the deputy governor wrote to Mr Kimemia expressing her desire to resign and allow the county boss to find a replacement.
In her resignation letter, Ms Mbuthia said she would concentrate on campaigning for Mr Kimemia and expressed optimism that she would serve in a different role in Governor Kimemia’s government if he is re-elected.
“My concerns and energies will go to campaigning for Governor Kimemia for a second term. The most important thing right now is to ensure that Governor Kimemia wins in order to complete his legacy projects.
"Nyandarua has recorded tremendous development projects under Governor Kimemia, he needs all the support to complete the legacy projects and improve the livelihoods of our people,” Ms Mbuthia said.
Mr Mbugua, an engineer by profession, hails from Kinangop constituency, and Mr Kimemia says he was picked after wide consultations.
"He is a distinguished son of Nyandarua with exemplary expertise and will be bringing a wealth of experience to assist in the transformation journey that we started in 2017,” Governor Kimemia.
"I present to you a candidate with a proven track record. A dedicated servant of the people who will assist me in fulfilling the remaining part of my manifesto and the County Integrated Development Plan II (CIDP2), which has seen Nyandarua become a model county.”
Governor Kimemia says his running mate is an eminent professional and has been involved in development projects for Nyandarua during his administration.
“He has been instrumental in the construction of national road projects in Nyandarua. Among the projects he has overseen [are] the Mau Mau roads, Njabini-Maraigushu-Naivasha, Engineer-Naivasha, and Ndinda-Naivasha roads…,” he said.
“We have been working together in lobbying for the design and funding of Kwa Haraka-Rwanyambo-Karangatha-Githioro road among others.”
