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Kikuyu elders from Kiambu back Governor Kidero for second term


A section of Kikuyu council of elders drawn from Kiambu County have pledged to support the re-election of Dr Evans Kidero as Nairobi Governor.

The elders led chair Captain Waweru Mbugua, while addressing journalists at City Hall on Friday, said that they would marshal support for Dr Kidero’s bid for a second term as the head of the city county by rallying Kiambu natives residing and registered to vote in Nairobi to vote for the governor in the upcoming August polls.

‘NO PROBLEM’

“We do not have any problem with you. We have invested heavily in Nairobi and we want good leadership. Although, we are not registered voters in Nairobi, we will marshal those from Kiambu living in Nairobi to support you,” said Mbugua, at the sidelines of the meeting with the governor.

Dr Kidero, on his part, said that the elders paid him a courtesy call to discuss issues touching on upcoming elections, investment, service provision, land rates, expired leases and threats posed by land grabbing cartels in the capital among other issues.

He added that he welcomed the move and would continue to work with all ethnic communities living in Nairobi County as the county is a melting pot of different communities and has no time for ethnically driven leadership.

“Nairobi County deserves leaders who bring us together and not those who divide us along tribal lines. I have ensured, since my election as a governor, that all Nairobi residents live as a single community bringing an end to tribal clashes often witnessed in the city before I came to power,” said Dr Kidero.

FIERCE BATTLE

The governor is facing a fierce battle from the Jubilee camp where former Gatanga Member of Parliament Peter Kenneth and Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko have all thrown their hats in the ring to become the next governor of Nairobi County.

There has also been a clamour led by MPs from the Jubilee party hailing from the larger Central to front ‘one of their own’ for the Nairobi governor’s seat with a split emerging between those from Kiambu County and Murang’a County, with the latter supporting Kenneth while the former supporting Sonko, ostensibly to block Kenneth’s rise to the seat.

But in what is likely to bring a new twist in the race and cause a major blow to Sonko’s candidature, a total of 12 MPs from Nairobi County on Thursday pledged their support for Kenneth’s bid, a move that has sent shock waves to the Sonko’s camp and all but confirmed Kenneth as the man to beat in the upcoming Jubilee party nominations.