By JOHN MAJAU
The election of Meru governor presents a battleground to settle the regional supremacy contest between Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s The National Alliance party and Kiraitu Murungi’s Alliance Party of Kenya.
Uhuru, who is the Jubilee alliance presidential candidate, had initially secured the backing of Kiraitu, who, however, felt slighted after the Gatundu South MP formed TNA instead of joining APK.
Kiraitu, the Energy minister, vowed APK would field its own candidates with the party’s perceived power base being Meru, the home turf of the outgoing Imenti South MP.
Among the candidates for governor are assistant ministers Kilemi Mwiria (Higher Education), who is the TNA flag bearer, and Peter Munya (East African Community), who was nominated by APK. Munya is a close ally of Kiraitu.
Also fielding candidates are Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM and Kenya National Congress of presidential candidate Peter Kenneth. Former university lecturer Hezekiah Gichunge is the KNC candidate, while Jasto Mati Maore represents ODM. The other candidate is former National Bank of Kenya MD Reuben Marambii with DPM Musalia Mudavadi’s UDF party.
Marambii was the last to declare interest in the Meru County gubernatorial race where his entry has elicited mixed reactions.
Marambii, who in 1999 was tasked with rescuing National Bank of Kenya from collapse, is promising to give facelift to living standards of Meru County residents.
Despite many doubting his ability due to his being in the sunset years, Marambii endears himself as the best candidate to be the pioneer governor so as to set a strong foundation for growth noting that age comes with experience.
Political mettle
As such the race for the much-coveted seat presents yet another competition among strong candidates and parties. Being Kiraitu’s home turf, he will be rolling up his sleeves to show his political mettle.
Already, the party, which enjoys support in Embu, Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties, has flexed its muscles by fielding candidates in all the elective seats in the counties.
Having failed to dissolve APK to join TNA, Kiraitu, who recently said he was supporting Uhuru’s candidature, will try to use the electoral contest to show he is not a pushover.
Since the enactment of the new Constitution, which created the post, several aspirants have been criss-crossing the massive county to endear themselves to the electorate.
So far the seat has attracted a record five aspirants who are fully prepared at all cost to go all the way to the ballot to enable the voters decide on the best among them.
Meru County is composed of three dominant sub-tribes of Imenti, Tigania and Igembe. The area comprises of eight districts and nine constituencies including Imenti South, Imenti Central, Imenti North, Buuri, Tigania East, Tigania West, Igembe North and Igembe South.
Personal credentials including track record, experience, education, policies and performance among others will play the greatest role in determining who the Meru County governor becomes.
The sub-tribe factor will also play a great role in determining the outcome with the balance tilting to the most populous.
Originally, opinion leaders, MPs and Njuri Ncheke council of elders had agreed the major seats of the senator, governor and the women representative be sub-divided among the three sub-tribes with the Imenti getting the senator’s position. But with time this boardroom idea was shelved after more than one aspirant from each of the sub-tribe come out to contest for the same seat.
Many were of the view that this formula will favour certain candidates leading to betrayal of the people’s wishes.
Mwiria, Munya and Marambii are from Tigania sub-tribe while Gichunge and Maore are from Igembe. Imenti has no candidate.
The political party one will contest in is also expected to play a role in determining who eventually clinches the seat. Those in TNA and APK will be highly favoured because the two parties are popular in the region.
A titanic battle is expected therefore between the two assistant ministers.
The contestants have been holding closed doors meeting with leaders from all locations in a bid to popularise themselves with the voters.
Good topography
Political analysts say indications are the residents have made up their minds on who to vote for and are patiently waiting for the election day to pull the surprise.
“The voters of the region are known to be faithful and honest and no amount of handout will sway their stand. They will feast on the money and finally end up voting for a person of their choice,” says an analyst conversant with the area politics.
Should each of the sub-tribe decide to vote for one of its own, the Imenti who do not have a candidate will provide a swing vote bearing in mind that Igembe is the most populous of the three. But such a scenario of people voting in sub-tribe basis is not expected because many are looking for the performance of the candidates and not the place of origin or political party affiliation.
Most of the aspirants have promised to give provision of water top priority, once elected, to enable the county become a food basket to the rest of the country, owing to its soil fertility and the good topography.