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EMBU MCAs DIFFER OVER REGION’S MOST PREFERRED POLITICAL PARTY

 Residents of Embu County have been cautioned against falling for political euphoria and voting along party lines instead of focusing on an individual’s leadership capabilities in the forthcoming General Elections.

 
Embu Majority Party Leader Michael Njeru Moving a Motion at the Assembly. Photo/COURTESY

There was a heated exchange between Ward Representatives during the first plenary sitting of the County Assembly of Embu’s Fifth Session, with varied opinions on the most popular political party preferred by those contesting for various seats in the Mount Kenya East region.

Muminji MCA Newton Kariuki stirred the hornet’s nest by urging his colleagues to join the Devolution Empowerment Party popularly known as ‘Bus’, and sensationally alleging that the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) had already awarded direct nomination tickets to some preferred candidates.

Kariuki’s sentiments irked his Kyeni North counterpart Patrick Mukavi who fired back terming the Jubilee Party as “a hopeless political outfit” which had no place in Embu County. Mukavi said UDA was a fierce political force, but conceded that the Bus Party was notably making inroads across the corners of the county.

Mukavi also sought to allay fears that there were preferred candidates who had already received certificates from UDA to vie for any post. The MCA was also quick to urge the electorate to gauge the individual leaders away from the party ideologies and vote for the best candidate regardless of their political vehicle of choice. He noted that voters were often disenfranchised by party euphoria.

Preferred party

The Kithimu MCA however acknowledged the emergence of the Bus Party as a preferred political vessel for leaders in Mt. Kenya East. He said it was necessary for the region to have a political party which Mt. Kenya East leaders would use to lobby for development, jobs and drive other agenda for the region.

The political party debate clearly angered Gaturi North MCA Paul Muchangi who wanted Deputy Speaker Steve Simba to rule the Ward Reps pushing the partisan debate out of order. But Simba, who is also the MCA for Runyenjes Central allowed the deliberations to continue, stating that any member was free to woo the rest to any particular party as long as derogatory language was not used.

Nominated MCA Edna Muisyo again took time to warn against party politics saying most of the elected leaders might lose focus and forget to sell their policies and ideologies to the electorate while drumming support for their preferred political parties. She added that every politician running for political office ought to be responsive to the needs of the people and not engrossed on popularising parties.

Majority Leader Michael Kariuki strongly differed with Mukavi and reiterated that Jubilee was still the party that sponsored most of the Embu MCAs to the County Assembly. He said until the elected leaders resign from the Jubilee Party, they must respect the political faction that they pledged allegiance to in the 2017 General Election.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT, EDITED By MUSYOKA NGUI

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