Late Minister Joe Nyaga’s son, Jeremiah Nyaga, announces presidential bid

Jeremiah John Mwaniki Nyaga, the son of the late minister Joe Nyaga, has become the latest entrant in the August 9-slated race to State House.

According to Nyaga, who was speaking in Kutus, Kirinyaga County on Tuesday, he will officially declare his presidential candidacy in two weeks' time. He will be vying as an independent candidate.

One of the reasons that informed his decision, Nyaga said, was that he wanted to dispel the notion that only a handful of individuals, from the country’s perceived largest tribes, are qualified to lead the nation.

“Kenya is a democracy and every community has the right to produce a candidate or as many candidates as it wishes. I am from the Ambeere community; we are a very small community. We are about 200,000 people but as of today, we have two candidates for the presidency. I encourage all communities to produce candidates,” he added.

He similarly urged Mt. Kenya residents and Kenyans in general to only elect leaders who have a proven track record of bettering the lives of their constituents and not because of their name and political affiliations.

“Nimesema mara mingi kama hapa mlima Kenya, kama mnaimba ‘hatupangwingwi’ mmeshapangwa. Watu wa mlima Kenya lazima waelewe ya kwamba kuna wanasiasa wengi hii nchi wanataka kutupanga na tusipojipanga, tutapangwa vibaya mahali tunaenda.”

While lamenting about the country’s inflation, Nyaga likewise dismissed assertions that Deputy President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga are the frontrunners in the race to State House, citing that most Kenyans were not even supporting the pair.

“The majority of Kenyans do not belong to with of those two sides. Therefore the third force is Kenyans themselves. Even in the opinion polls, the undecided make up the majority of Kenyans,” he added.