Nakuru Senator to contest for governor seat as independent candidate
Nakuru Senator James Mungai is going to contest for the Nakuru gubernatorial seat as an independent candidate in a bid to avoid the chaos that normally accompany party primaries, the The Informer has learnt.
Yesterday, Senator Mungai’s personal assistant Joseph Omondi said that they are firmly in the race to unseat Governor Kinuthia Mbugua adding that decision to go independent was informed by various factors.
“There’s no party in Kenya at the moment which has the structures to conduct credible nominations and we have seen that in the past. It is always marred by chaos and confusion,” he said.
According to him, by going independent, Senator Mungai is also trying to cut costs that come with organizing two elections. “You can pump your money in the nomination yet somebody will rig the election so it is better for us to wait for the main election,” he explained.
He was, however, quick to point out that Senator Mungai is supporting the reelection of President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto. Mr Omondi said that Senator Mungai will launch his bid officially in Nakuru immediately after party primaries.
“We just want to know who we’ll be facing but for now we’re carefully watching from t he sidelines,” he said.
In a previous interview, Senator Mungai told the People Daily that he is going to get Nakuru back on the track of development by sealing corruption loopholes and introducing efficient service delivery plan.
Already, former NTSA chairman Lee Kinyanjui, who is also a former MP for Nakuru Town, has hit the ground running and is seen as Governor Mbugua’s biggest challenger. Former Nacada chairman John Mututho has also declared interest in the seat.
At the same time, the battle for the Jubilee ticket in the Baringo gubernatorial seat is shaping up to be a two horse race between incumbent Governor Benjamin Cheboi and local KNUT Executive Secretary Stanley Kiptis.
