Voting in the Kiagu Ward by-elections started smoothly on Thursday morning with no incidents reported. The seat fell vacant following the demise of the area MCA Eunice Karegi.
Moses Kuria’s Chama Cha Kazi will be seeking to clinch it’s first elective position as a show of might in the larger Mt. Kenya region.
Kuria’s brigade believes that a win for Milton Mwenda Kabobo will be enough to send a message to UDA that the Mt Kenya people have chosen to embrace ‘homegrown Parties’ in readiness for the 2022 general election.
“It’s the only Party whose Party Leader has openly declared that MCA’S positions will be reserved for the youths only. When their Competitors used IEBC to bar Milton Mwenda from participating in Kiagu Ward by-elections, it was meant to humiliate Moses Kuria. They knew Kabobo was going to win with a landslide therefore propelling Moses Kuria in the National Arena,” says Justin Kinyua.
William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) hopes to clinch the Kiagu Ward seat to stamp its authority in the region, after outshining the ruling Jubilee Party in several other by-elections in Mt. Kenya.
The Party has in the last few months engaged in several rallies in the area, led by Meru Senator Mithika Linturi, drumming up support for Simon Kiambi Ngaruni.
Having attracted several candidates in the nominations, UDA believes they have the best candidate and enough support from several vocal leaders in the area.
Simon Kiambi garnered a total of 1,923 votes in the hotly contested nomination exercise, while Richard Mwangi came in second with 1,211 votes. With a voter turnout of close to 50% in the UDA primaries, it is expected that Kiambi could be headed for a major win in the October 14 by-elections.
Other candidates battling it out for the Kiagu Ward seat include Samson Kinyua Magambo (Jubilee), Scolastica Mwendwa (PDU), Haron Kaburu (Maendeleo Chap Chap), Richard Mwangi Marete (LRP), Joseph Mwangi (DP), Douglas Bundi Kirimi (Safina), Patrick Kathurima (CCU) and Nabea Joshua Kinyua (Ford-Kenya).
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