Mwangi Wa Iria joins Azimio, pledges support for Raila
Usawa Kwa Wote Party leader and former presidential aspirant Mwangi Wa Iria has joined Azimio-One Kenya Coalition.
Speaking during a press briefing, the Murang’a governor stated his decision to join forces with Azimio presidential candidate Raila was made after his bid to succeed President Kenyatta was scuttled.
He noted that their administration will implement his promised ‘one cow, one household’ initiative.
” Through that joint manifesto, Usawa Kwa Wote will support the candidature of Raila. My supporters will now rally behind Raila Odinga. I told Raila that if we combined his Sh6,000 pledge and my cow program then we will take Kenyan families above the poverty line. I told him that those have to be in our joint manifesto and we did a deal. He stated that will happen,” he said.
Wa Iria declared his candidacy for president last year before being dismissed by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
The governor also stated that if Raila wins the election on August 9, he will demand a cabinet position.
“If I get to the Cabinet, I will implement all the programs because I have the knowledge. The people of Murang’a should therefore rally behind me and we shall demand that Raila gives me a cabinet position,” he noted.
Azimio has been attempting to reclaim Mount Kenya from Deputy President William Ruto, and Wa Iria’s edition will come as a comfort to them, with only three weeks to go.
Wa Iria claimed that he made that decision after IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati excluded him from the presidential campaign.
He announced his presidential bid last year, before the IEBC rejected him, but was denied approval by the IEBC head after he failed to submit his nomination papers on time.
“He (Chebukati) went Herod on me and he will face what Herod faced in the bible. Chebukati never told Kenyans why he disqualified me. He is on his way out and I will meet him as an old man with an old hanging coat and buy him tea,” Wa Iria stated.
