Martha Karua's entry stirs Kirinyaga politics

The entry of Martha Karua into the Kirinyaga gubernatorial race will no doubt stir the region’s volatile politics.

The last time Kirinyaga was electrified by epic political battles was in the 1980s when two heavyweights —James Njiru and Nahashon Njunu —squared it out in high-octane political wars including inside Parliament.

By throwing her hat in the ring, Karua will be pitted against former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru and the incumbent Joseph Ndathi — all of who hail from Gichugu constituency.

Scaled down

Karua’s announcement Wednesday brings to two the number of politicians from Central Kenya who have scaled down their political ambitions from contesting the presidency to leading their respective counties.

The first to withdraw was Peter Kenneth late last month.

For Kirinyaga, Karua will be entering the race with the tag of being against the government of President Uhuru Kenyatta, which enjoys a near-fanatical support in the county.

Karua served for 20 years as Gichugu MP before she unsuccessfully tried her hand in the presidency in 2013.

During the polls, Kenyatta got the lion’s share of the votes from her Gichugu backyard.

It will be interesting to see who Karua will support for the presidency.

After openly walking out on former President Mwai Kibaki and   running against Kenyatta in 2013, the region may not forgive her if she continues her open support for the opposition.

On the other hand, if she throws her weight behind Uhuru, she risks offending the Opposition bigwigs, with whom she has close relations.

Karua’s declaration that she was climbing down the political ladder to go for a county seat has caught many by surprise.

The announcement was met with mixed reactions in Kirinyaga.

While some welcomed the move, others argued that she would be a hard sell because of her opposition to Uhuru in 2013 and sustained criticism of his government thereafter. 

“We know she is a good politician but we are telling her that Kirinyaga is in Jubilee Party and she should join the winning party. Karua should dissolve her Narc-Kenya party and support the re-election of President Kenyatta,” says Josiah Muriguh, a political pundit from Kirinyaga Central.

Ndia MP Stephen Ngari criticised Karua’s decision to announce her political aspirations away from home.

“I only heard about her entry into the Kirinyaga politics though the media, otherwise I would have expected her to make such an important decision right at home since this is where she has a constituency,” Ngari said.

Governor Ndathi welcomed Karua’s entry, saying: “We are more than ready to defend our seat and not scared by the new entrants.”

Interesting race

Kenya Ambassador to America Njeru Githae is yet to make his position known and pundits claim should he vie, it will make the race more interesting.

Githae lost at the nomination stage to the then little-known Ndathi in 2013.

Tana Water Services Board Director Muriithi Kang’ara welcomed Karua’s candidature, saying it was up to the electorate to decide.

Businessman Bedan Kagai is upbeat that he can beat Karua, saying he has stamped his authority across the world with his leadership skills in rural development.

The gubernatorial race has also taken an interesting twist with the majority of those seeking the post coming from Gichugu.

Kirinyaga County consists of Ndia, Gichugu, Mwea and Kirinyaga Central.

A section of voters from Ndia, Mwea and Kirinyaga Central constituencies accused Gichugu people of being selfish.

“Does it mean that only women from Gichugu have the ability to sire governors as compared to those from Ndia, Mwea and Kirinyaga Central?” posed Jerald Mwangi.

Although Waiguru is considered a serious aspirant for the seat, a section of residents argue that she has not been associated with the county, with some claiming she can hardly speak her own Gichugu dialect.

“Can she show us her house in Kithure village where she claims her roots are so that we can for sure say she is one of us?” said Njiru Ndambiri.