President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Jubilee Party leader, steered clear of endorsing any candidate for the Kirinyaga County governor’s seat.
Former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru is now on her own as she battles it out with Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua .
Despite being the candidate for the favourite party in the area, Jubilee, Waiguru finds herself on an equal footing with the flower party leader. Due to the support that Uhuru commands in the county and the popularity of his party, a good word from Uhuru has the potential of tilting the race.
In some regions, especially Mt Kenya and Rift Valley, which voted for the party almost to a man in 2013, securing the ticket is akin to winning an election. Waiguru won the ticket after seeing off Karua’s running mate, Kirinyaga Central MP Joseph Gitari, and incumbent Joseph Ndathi.
With stiff competition from Karua, Waiguru needed to make it clear that she was the President’s preferred candidate if she was to have a fairly easy time on August 8. But during his campaign in the county on Wednesday, Uhuru struck a delicate balance between who of the two powerful women to give his backing to.
“All these leaders support me and the choice between Waiguru and Karua, you will have to make yourself. On August 8 we will see what Kirinyaga has decided. The one who will lose will be accommodated in my administration,” Uhuru said.
It is going to be a tough race for the two former Cabinet ministers. After five years in the cold, Karua is keen to make a political resurgence while Waiguru is intent on making a point after a turbulent stint in the Executive.
angige@standardmedia.co.ke