Five aspirants seek to wrestle Kangema from Kigano's hold

Peter Kihungi and Johnson Mukuha, Kangema parliamentary aspirants.

The entry of five candidates seeking to outseat the incumbent Muturi Kigano has raised stakes in the Kangema parliamentary contest.

Between 1970s and 1990s, Kangema politics were the centre of focus in the larger Murang’a owing to the fierce showdowns between supporters of veteran politicians John Njoroge Michuki and Joseph John Kamotho (both now deceased), which often led to violence on the campaign trail.

The stakes were lowered in 1997 when Mathioya constituency was carved out from the larger Kangema with Kamotho being domiciled in the new electoral area.

Kangema's Rwathia location is known for producing billionaire businessmen, who moved to Nairobi in the early 1950s and 1960s, taking control of a majority of businesses in the capital. Now, many of them are in the hands of their children and grandchildren.

Rwathia is home to founders of Equity Bank Dr James Mwangi and Dr Peter Munga. The latter, who has since retired, is a member of the influential Mt Kenya Foundation (MKF), which is playing a key role in propelling ODM leader Raila Odinga's presidential ambitions under the Azimio la Umoja umbrella.

Rwathia villages, are also renowned for accommodating Mau Mau fighters, after the colonial regime established an airfield in Aberdare Forest to deal with the rebels who lived in caves.

Kigano, 79, a veteran lawyer allied to the Azimio movement, is facing a challenge from Julia Chege, Johnson Mukuha, George Kibuku, Peter Kihungi and Theta MCA Simon Marema, who are agemates of his children.

The MP, who chairs the National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs Committee, has been beseeching voters togive him a second term on account that he has completed the projects started by the late Michuki.

“I have a track record in development and issuance of bursaries to support needy students, which can be ascertained and provide proof on why I deserve a second term,” said Kigano.

Locals, however, decry low education standards, unemployment and lack of industries save for the growing of specialised in tea at Kanyenya ini and Gatunguru areas as reasons why there is need for a change of leadership in the area.

Kenrick Maina, a resident, the constituency boasts of huge tracts of land and all that is needed is for the leadership to lobby for the establishment of industries as one way of creating employment to stop the rural-urban migration.

Those seeking to unseat Kigano have adopted Michuki's slogan of Kuga and Gwika with regard to development programmes, as they dismiss claims by the MP that he has transformed Muguru, Rwathia and Kanyenya-ini wards.

Ms Chege ,39, the only woman in the parliamentary race, says if elected she would prioritise streamlining of issuance of bursaries and enhance community policing initiatives.

“My passion is for women and youth employment and I will work hard to empower them,” said Chege, who is also allied to Azimio.

She is a Leadership, Gender and Governance Studies lecturer at the University of Nairobi.

Kihungi and Mukuha, on the other hand, are allied to Deputy President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and will thus first face-off in the party primaries to decide who will compete against the Azimio candidate.

 In 2017, Kihungi lost to Kigano during Jubilee Party nominations and supported him in the general election. He vows to focus on the completion of irrigation projects.

“As a director in Athi Water Development Agency, I have been working towards completion of the Nyanjigi irrigation project,” said Kihungi.

Mukuha, a JKUAT graduate, says his interest is to lobby for development programmes from the national government.

“My interest will be on improved roads, access to water, better health care and education for our children,” said Mukuha.

Kigano cites the Nyanjigi irrigation project as one of the projects he has completed in addition to 45 street lighting projects, markets and more than 100 kilometres of Mau Mau roads.

Kibuku said his interest will be uplifting education standards and creating employment for professionals.

"Agriculture should be supported through effective policies, and renovation of schools should be a priority," said Kibuku.