UDA aspirants in Kirinyaga accuse gov't of intimidation

Speaking at a press conference in Kerugoya on Wednesday, the aspirants claimed some of the contestants were being arrested or summoned by various government agencies for trumped-up allegations.

They cited the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) as some of the agencies being used to harass and threaten them.

Led by UDA county chairman Maina Kihia and coordinator Moses Muciri Mohamed, the aspirants alleged that the said harassment was meant to force them to join Jubilee Party.

They pointed an accusing finger at Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho, some commissioners and directors of some State agencies as men behind the political machinations.

“They are doing everything within their means to stop us from supporting Deputy President William Ruto including bribing UDA candidates to move to Jubilee,” said Kihia. 

Kihia said that the country has been more impoverished since the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga with the cost of living escalating to an all-time high. 

“Instead of using money to buy aspirants from UDA, public funds should be used to improve public service delivery such as paying hospital bills for the poor,” said Kihia. 

He dismissed claims that a section of UDA coordinators had defected to Jubilee saying the party is intact and no official has left to join any other political formation.

“Those who were being paraded and received by PS Kibicho last week as having defected to Jubilee have never been members of UDA leave alone being officials. These are cheap political machinations being used to hoodwink people that there is Jubilee party in Kirinyaga, I want to say the party died and was buried long time ago,” he added.

On his part, Mohammed claimed that Kibicho has been behind the threats and harassment meted on UDA aspirants among them being Governor Anne Waiguru and MCAs among them majority leader James Murango. 

He asked the PS to put his effort into ensuring Kenya is peaceful and secure, especially in areas where bandits are killing and terrorizing people. 

“The whole of Kirinyaga County is solidly behind Deputy President William Ruto and the UDA party, our stand is that President Uhuru has had his 10 years in power and now it is time for Ruto to have his ten as earlier agreed,” said Mohamed. 

Aspiring Women Representatives Anne Wangechi and Jane Mugo stressed that no amount of intimidation will sway UDA candidates and supporters into joining Jubilee or supporting Azimio Presidential candidate Raila Odinga.

Similar sentiments were shared by a section of UDA supporters who asked the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to ask civil servants to keep off from politics.

Speaking separately, the supporters led by Francis Ng’ang’a Maranatha asked DPP not to allow his office to be used to settle political scores. 

Maranatha claimed that state operatives were putting pressure on the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to charge Governor Waiguru on a none existent issue so as to blackmail her to leave UDA.