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I’m not sleeping with Senator Mong’are, running mate says


Immaculate Onkangi, Nyamira governorship candidate Kennedy Okong’o Mong’are’s running mate, has been forced to fight back claims that she is in a clandestine love affair with the man set to be her boss should they win in the August elections.

Ms Onkangi, 25, has been campaigning for Senator Mong’are in their bid to capture Nyamira’s top seat.

But the woman is now fighting gossip that the two are lovers who have taken on politics as a joint project.

Speaking Monday, Ms Onkangi said her relationship with Mr Mong’are is solely built on principled politics and the urgent need to transform Nyamira County.

ONE MISSION

“We are united on one key mission – to bring sanity to the county by cleaning up all the existing mess.

“If Nyamira people want to give me a husband, let them go ahead but I doubt this is my primary goal as of now,” she said.

“He (Mong’are) had approached me solely on the account of being his running mate and this is how we ended up here. I believe he is a person of strong morals and principles and who wants the best for the Nyamira people,” she added.

“In fact I challenge those who question me about my marital status to give me a husband. But of what importance [will that be yet] I’m not desperate,” she posed.

Ms Onkangi said such accusations are some of the many challenges facing women who join politics.

CARTEL

She said all the two are focusing on now is how to clinch the governorship seat and “rescue the devolved unit from the hands of a tainted political cartel that is bent on running it to its knees”.

The former Maasai Mara University student leader said Senator Mong’are is a known married man and who should be respected on that ground instead of tarnishing his campaign with wild and unsubstantiated allegations.

“Senator Mong’are is married. He is a man I believe has honest political intentions and should be supported by all the county residents who feel their county is headed in the wrong direction under Governor John Nyagarama,” said Ms Onkangi.

PROPAGANDA

She said she is enjoying a good working relationship with Mr Mong’are and his wife and cannot understand why people are bent on ruining their campaigns with unfounded propaganda.

“We are on good terms with his wife and now let us focus on the campaigns so that we can have better leadership in Nyamira,” she said.

For months social media platforms have been abuzz with claims that the beauty queen and Senator Mong’are are a romantic couple in a political race.

“Nyamira is literally swimming in corruption, with millions of shillings meant for development not being accounted for. It is time we stood up to these economic injustices and said no to this bad leadership,” Ms Onkangi said.

Senator Mong’are opted out of the presidential race five months after launching his bid in Nairobi after he allegedly failed to raise the required 2,000 signatures across 24 counties.