The Democratic Party has endorsed the National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi’s presidential bid.
DP chairman Essau Kioni made the announcement yesterday after a meeting of about 40 delegates from 11 Mt Kenya counties in Nyeri town.
“He is a man of integrity. When we compare him with all the other contenders, we feel he can propel the country forward and ensure continuity in development projects established by the current regime,” said Mr Kioni.
He said the party was exploring the possibility of fielding Muturi as its presidential flag bearer.
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Muturi’s allies in Mt Kenya East are said to have earlier been seeking to rebrand Restore and Build Kenya (RBK) party, but after facing hurdles, he is said to have settled on DP.
The decision comes three weeks after the top management committee met a Nairobi hotel and approved Muturi’s application for life membership.
Former President Mwai Kibaki launched the party in 1992 after he had quit Kanu after the return of multi party democracy.
But he left in 2001 after the formation of the National Rainbow Coalition that he used to win the presidency the following year.
The party officials last month met Safina and PNU leaders and resolved to establish a technical committee that will work on a possible coalition.
Yesterday, Muturi said to effectively fight corruption, court cases should be expedited. “We must give corruption cases a time frame within which they must be concluded," he said during a question-and-answer session on Twitter.
“The actors in the administration of justice must have synchronised standards of operation. Investigations and prosecutions must be timed and made public.”
On how to revamp the economy, the Speaker said his priority would be to curb runaway borrowing.
“We must stop borrowing, renegotiate the high interest loans, stop white elephant projects and refocus on food security alongside a predictable tax regime.”
The Speaker added that he would also prioritise taming of rampant wastage in government by having the right policies, which would create an enabling environment for business and job creation.
Muturi said he would also put the youth on top of his development strategy, noting that they form the highest percentage of the population. “The youth must now step up to actualise themselves. They must stop being used as projects for politicians and start seeking leadership positions,” he said.
