The Meru Senatorial race is already taking shape with less than five months to the 2022 general election.
Having overwhelmingly won the seat in 2017 on a Jubilee ticket, the current Senator Mithika Linturi has already declared his interest in the Governor’s seat, leaving the race to a number of new entrants.
Linturi garnered 308,690 votes in 2017, against his closest rival Mugambi Imanyara of PNU who got 183,263 votes.
Other contestants in the 2017 race were Gideon Gitonga Thuranira of Maendeleo Chap Chap (MCC) with 13,546 votes, Japheth Kobia Maranya an Independent candidate with 17,582 votes and Zablon Mathenge Itewa of Mazingira Greens Party with 8,793 votes.
Kathendu Anderson Mwiti, another Independent candidate garnered a paltry 4,754 votes while Gideon Kaumbuthu Meenye of the Democratic Party (DP) got 4,508 votes.
In recent days, the Meru Senatorial race has attracted a number of new contestants, among them former Meru FM presenter Captain Goddie, South Imenti MP Kathuri Murungi and two-time Meru County Assembly Speaker Joseph Kaberia Arimba.
Captain Goddie
Godfrey Lamata, popularly known as Captain Goddie has severally declared his interest in becoming the next Meru Senator.
The Meru FM Radio Presenter believes he has what it takes to deliver to the Meru people as a member of the Senate.
Although he had previously declared his intentions to seek a UDA Party ticket, Captain Goddie finally opted to contest as an Independent Candidate.
Joseph Kaberia Arimba
Kaberia, a PhD holder and two-term speaker, is vying for the Senate seat using Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi’s Devolution Empowerment Party alias Mbus.
Hailing from the vote-rich Igembe Central constituency, Kaberia Arimba will be seeking to convince the electorate that his experience as the Meru County Assembly Speaker will yield the change they yearn for in the Senate representation.
Kathuri Murungi
Kathuri Murungi (Kamashinani) is a Kenyan politician and the current Member of Parliament for South Imenti Constituency in Meru County, elected in 2017 as an independent candidate.
Coming from Governor Kiraitu Murungi’s South Imenti constituency, Kathuri will be seeking the people’s mandate on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party ticket.
Kathurima Naftaly
Kathurima believes he is the right man to represent Meru County in the Senate, citing his prowess and close association with the people as key ingredients in his leadership.
The former student leader at Kenyatta University is a close associate of Agriculture CS Peter Munya, and is a former PNU Youth Leader.
Hon. Kathurima Naftaly is a businessman based in Nairobi, an alumni of Barenta Primary School and Burieruri Boys in Meru County. After his University education at Kenyatta University, he had a short stunt at the Co-operative Bank of Kenya, before leaving for business.
He joined active politics in 2015, seeking the Igembe North parliamentary seat. He was later nominated as Kinoti Gatobu’s runningmate.
Kinoti Gatobu was a gubernatorial candidate in the 2017 general election who shelved his ambition in the dying moments of the campaign season in favor of Governor Kiraitu Murungi.
Kathurima has been on the forefront in fighting for the interests of miraa farmers and is a proponent of miraa cooperatives. He is currently the Director or Mwenge Miraa SACCO.
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