Fight for Nakuru Jubilee gubernatorial ticket intensifies
The Jubilee party primaries for the Nakuru gubernatorial seat is expected to be a tough contest.
The region is still perceived as a Jubilee stronghold. The party, which was birthed at Afraha Stadium in 2013, has considerably lost its support base to Deputy President William Ruto's United Democratic Party (UDA).
Even with the grand revival plans by President Uhuru Kenyatta, the party faces one of its toughest comebacks in a region ahead of the August 9 General Election. The elections are being interpreted as a supremacy battle between President Kenyatta and his estranged deputy.
Political pundits in the region are predicting that the two parties' scramble for the one million votes may be affected by the political bad blood between the two principals.
"Die-hard Jubilee supporters are enduring a sense of estrangement after the fallout between the two principals and this may lead to voter apathy at the primaries and on August 9 polls," says Mr George Ouma a political analyst in Nakuru City.
The party primaries have attracted political heavyweights Mr James Mungai and Dr Stanley Karanja. Mr Gidraph Mwangi is also eyeing the seat.
The incumbent Governor Lee Kinyanjui will not defend the seat on the Jubilee ticket. He will, however, seek his reelection on Ubuntu People's Forum (UPF) which is yet to be officially launched.
Governor Kinyanjui has kept his supporters guessing on the launch of the new party even as United Democratic Alliance Party (UDA) brigades paint the rainbow county yellow and green ahead of the August 9 polls.
"UDA and Jubilee gubernatorial aspirants- Susan Kihika and Dr Stanley Karanja have hoisted their big billboards in strategic positions in Nakuru City and other key satellites towns like Naivasha, Njoro and Molo among others but I have never seen a billboard of Ubuntu People's Forum gubernatorial aspirant and this is sending a wrong signal to its supporters," said Mr Peterson Kiarie, a resident of Nakuru City.
After nearly a decade out of the political limelight, former Nakuru senator Mungai is back.
Mr Mungai, who made his first attempt for the gubernatorial seat in 2017 on an independent ticket, is set to face his then running mate Dr Karanja in what is expected to be a fierce battle of two political bedfellows.
Mr Mungai is a Nakuru businessman while Dr Karanja is a scholar and a business consultant.
Political drums
Dr Karanja is beating his political drums and is saying his entry into the race is driven by a desire to take Nakuru County to the next level of development by focusing on key economic pillars like agriculture, environment, housing, infrastructure, security, conducive business environment, youth and women empowerment.
"I am running for the first time as Nakuru Governor as I want to offer myself to the two million residents and give them good political leadership and management skills which I have gained over the past decade from the corporate world," said Dr Karanja.
He said he has participated in the planning of the first strategic plan of Nakuru County.
"I want to ensure there are vibrant economic activities in Nakuru City which is the business centre of the county by reviving agricultural entities like pyrethrum, dairy farming, potato farming among others," he added.
He said he will also strive to reduce the capital drain from the county, saying "we talk about brain drain and forget we have a problem of the capital drain in the county. People investing in Nakuru County should at least invest part of their income in the county and not outside."
Development projects
"Many development projects are going on in all the 55 wards courtesy of the current regime but there is still no feeling that the residents own these projects."
"I want to build investor confidence. Investors must appreciate working and doing business in the county and that is why they need to bring in capital and reinvest in the county. I will ensure the cost of doing business is affordable and in a clean working environment," said Dr Karanja.
Other areas of priority include housing, infrastructure, health and Early Childhood Development Education.
He plans to establish the skills centre saying, "Nakuru is cosmopolitan with a rich pool of skilled manpower but nobody knows where these skills are in this county. You cannot grow your people if you don't know what skills they have. We need to know these skills for proper utilization and marketing them inside and outside the county and beyond our borders."
"I know this race is not easy but I bank on the 70 per cent of the youth population in Nakuru County to give me a nod," said Mr Mwangi, 29, who hails from Bahati sub-county.
He said that young people have been left out of the negotiating table for leadership positions.
He said top on his wish list includes addressing the runaway youth unemployment in the region and the revival of key agriculture sectors like pyrethrum and dairy farming.
"I'm a dairy farmer, I know the challenges that many youths face while attempting to set up value-addition ventures and buying farming inputs," said Mr Mwangi.
He expressed his confidence that the party primaries will be free and fair. BY DAILY NATION
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