“KEEP THE ELECTIONEERING PERIOD CLEAN” – EMBU MCAs URGE RIVALS

 Calls for clean campaigns dominated the County Assembly of Embu’s sittings as Ward Representatives adjourned the August House sittings indefinitely to seek fresh mandate from voters in the run up to the August 9^th General Election.

According to Deputy Speaker Steve Simba, six-piece voting, negative propaganda characterised by insults, derogatory remarks, violent campaigns and party euphoria which he noted had started taking root in Embu County will not carry unpopular politicians to leadership positions.

The Runyenjes Central MCA declared that some candidates for elective posts who are clinging to parties, national leaders and calls for the one party (suit) voting style would be humiliated at the ballot since the electorate is keen on an individual’s leadership prowess and not political vehicles.

While noting that voters had evolved into keen scrutinisers of campaign policies and pledges by aspiring leaders, Simba advised contenders for elective seats to seek to woo the electorate with practical promises instead of relying on party popularity hoping to sail through by stroke of luck.

The Deputy Speaker further decried the rising trend of mudslinging and negative propaganda by opposing political factions saying this may degenerate into ugly showdowns. He urged aspirants for various seats to maintain peace, campaign with decorum and respect their rivals.

Nominated MCA Margaret Lorna Kariuki echoed Simba’s sentiments by opining that a clique of politicians who were banking on national leaders and large political parties for moral and financial support had grown jittery following the rise of popular independent candidates.

Rookies

Similarly, Mwea MCA Harrison Mwaluko challenged elected leaders to lead from the front by spearheading peaceable vote hunt missions as opposed to political rookies whom he noted were spoiling for violent clashes with their sworn and perceived political opponents.

Mwaluko stated that politics should not be misconstrued as a matter of life and death because losers of the August General Election would get opportunities to serve in other ranks, therefore saying it was needless to engage in abrasive campaigns or mount massive propaganda machinery at the grassroots.

In the same breath, Evurore MCA Duncan Mbui called upon his counterparts to conduct peaceful campaigns without inciting voters into tribal animosity, clan segregation or physical and verbal attacks. He added that violent campaigns would not earn any political wing votes in Embu County.

Mbui asserted that since life would continue after the elections, leaders ought to be careful with their utterances and actions during the electioneering period, lest they sow seeds of hatred in the society where communities had coexisted in harmony before the campaign temperatures started rising.

The leaders who were speaking at the County Assembly debate chambers as the legislature adjourned indefinitely to pave way for electioneering activities gave a clarion call on the electorate to judge them according to their service delivery and accord them a second chance at leadership.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT