United Democratic Alliance (UDA) gubernatorial aspirant in Murang’a County Irungu Kang’ata on Tuesday got a lifeline after he was registered by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
This was after the registration had been suspended on Monday on grounds that his running mate, Dr Winfred Mwangi, had not resigned on the due date to be allowed to contest.
By the time of being picked as Kang'ata's running mate , Dr Mwangi who is a Land economist with 20 years of experience in the sector, was serving as a senior lecturer, Department of Real Estate and Construction Management at the University of Nairobi.
According to a statement by IEBC’s Murang’a County Elections Manager, Saumu Omar Chirchir the issue arose after Dr Kanga’ta’s running mate failed to provide sufficient proof that she had resigned from employment as stipulated by electoral law.
On Tuesday, Dr Kang'ata was back at the IEBC accompanied by Dr Mwangi with them being evidence that she had resigned two days (February 7, 2022) before the February 9, 2022 deadline set by the electoral body.
According to a letter drawn on June 3, 2022 by Musa Boaz and Thomas advocates to the University's Vice Chancellor through the briefing of one Phillip Mbau Kamau identifying himself as a “public spirited Kenyan,” it demanded to know whether Dr Mwangi had resigned from the institution’s employment by February 9, 2022 as stipulated by the electoral law.
His supporters who had on Monday dispersed hurriedly in shock from the IEBC offices in Mukuyu town after the IEBC shocker were on Tuesday all over town singing and dancing, attributing the reprieve as an act of prayer and not witchcraft.
Dr Kanga’ta and Dr Mwangi upon being registered addressed the media, blaming their competitors for the hitch.
Dr Kang'ata said the competitors acting at the behest of the deep state had ganged together to come up with a plot to have him brought down through the technicality.
"The deep state and its agents is afield trying to pull all the tricks to have its way and its preferred candidates in the broader scheme targeting William Ruto. It is a scheme dead on arrival as has been manifest today morning following our clearance," Dr Kang’ata said.
Dr Ruto, the deputy president, is Kenya Kwanza Alliance presidential candidate, and it is under his party, UDA, that Dr Kang’ata is contesting.
He said Dr Ruto's contest and his (Kang'ata) gubernatorial contesting is heavily invested in God and that it will require more than evil to bring it down
"I want to urge my competitors to engage in above board politics. Politics that are issue based and devoid of defamatory and slanderous dispositions," Dr Kang'ata said.
He complained that the allegations that had led to his registration being turned down had been levelled against Dr Mwangi on grounds that she is a woman.
"They chose to profile her on gender...They were better off targeting me but keep off Dr Mwangi who is competent, humble, straightforward and who carries the hopes of the county in unlocking its potential in the property sector as well as deal with the land conflicts all over the courts," he said.
Dr Kang'ata will now face off with Jubilee's Jamleck Kamau who is supporting Raila Odinga presidency, Irungu Nyakera who is vying on Farmers Party supporting Dr Ruto and Dr Moses Mwangi on Safina party.
Another aspirant for Murang'a gubernatorial race is Joseph Wairagu on Democratic Party whose party leader Justin Muturi had signed a partnership pact with Dr Ruto but the political parties tribunal ruled the move illegal. Both Dr Moses Mwangi and Wairagu will now be at liberty to pick who to support, between Mr Odinga and Dr Ruto.
Dr Kang'ata announced that he will now proceed to link up with other Mt Kenya UDA gubernatorial hopefuls who are running a caravan to drum up support for the party and Dr Ruto.
"The Tuesday caravan under the command of our proposed Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, will cover Nairobi, Kiambu, Murang'a, Kirinyaga and Nyeri counties," he said.
