Former President Mwai Kibaki has on 31st March 2017 appeared in a rare political meeting since he left power and endorsed former Industrialization Assistant Minister Ndiritu Muriithi for the Laikipia county gubernatorial seat. Ndiritu who is Kibaki’s nephew is challenging Governor Joshua Irungu for the seat among other six other aspirants in the race.
Muriithi has also picked one of the aspirants from Laikipia East and former County Secretary John Mwaniki as his runningmate as they seek election on a Jubilee Party ticket.
In the ceremony to launch Ndiritu’s manifesto where he was the chief guest held at Nyahururu Sports Club, Kibaki challenged Laikipia residents to elect a visionary leaders for their lives to be uplifted.
“For you to enjoy the best of what is possible in Laikipia, you should choose your leader wisely. Leadership is not about self. It is about the people and the service they deserve” he said.
He said that the region had lagged behind in terms of development for failing to choose such leaders. The former President praised Ndiritu for the roles he played when he was the Laikipia west MP.
“May I remind you that the interventions that we are taking today are for posterity. We are obliged to imagine what the young persons in our midst and those yet to be born will reap from this land” he said.
Kibaki called on leaders from the region to work hard I solving the perennial conflicts currently hitting the area. He termed the water crisis as the cause of the conflicts between various communities living in the area.
“Laikipia needs the kind of leadership that will take action to end the conflicts that have taken place in the parts of the county recently.Make no mistake-the people of Laikipia are not war mongers. They do not derserve to be condemned as such at all,” he observed.
While addressing the gathering, Ndiritu took the opportunity to unveil his running mate John Mwaniki who stepped down in the race for the gubernatorial seat in his favour.
Mwaniki is the former county secretary who was sacked last year and was gunning for the same seat.
In his address, Ndiritu offered to demonstrate new kind of servant leadership with his priorities being improvement of security, jobs creation, water provision, health and education.
“These are the major problems that currently face the region. We will work hard to make sure that they come to an end for the region to develop. This is my vision for a better Laikipia” he said.
He vowed to make sure that the ducation standards in the region were uplifted.
On his part, Mwaniki said that he had decided to step down for Ndiritu since the latter had better ideas to lead Laikipia to a higher level.
“Laikipia is larger than an individual and I have decided to step down for my brother so we can work as team.This is the team that will lead Laikipia to prosperity” he noted.
Laikipia West MP Wachira Karani and former Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni also endorsed the new team.lled
Wachira called on Kenyans to embrace cohesion and peaceful coexistence especially as political temperatures continue to rise by day ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
He said that without peace, no meaningful development can be realized.
