Kamanda: Mt Kenya region won’t be forced to back Ruto
What you need to know:
- Mr Kamanda criticised politicians using 'force' to sway voters, saying "no one will use threats to get votes".
- He accused team Tanga Tanga of undermining President Kenyatta by engaging in early campaigns.
- He tore into Thirdway Alliance's Punguza Migizo constitutional amendment Bill.
Nominated MP Maina Kamanda has said that Mt Kenya region will not be forced to back any political leader in 2022. The legislator said that the region did not owe anybody and debt.
In a thinly veiled attack on Deputy President William Ruto, Mr Kamanda criticised politicians using 'force' to sway voters, saying "no one will use threats to get votes".
"We will not be forced to give you votes even at gun point, our leader President Uhuru Kenyatta, will give us direction when the time comes," Mr Kamanda said at St Paul's African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa in Nanyuki, Laikipia County on Sunday.
POLITICAL DEBT
The former Starehe legislator criticised leaders who think that they are owed political debt saying that no voter in Mt Kenya region will be manipulated or arm twisted to vote for anyone.
"We don't have anyone's debt, the only debt that mankind had had been paid by Jesus Christ. Let you not feel threatened by anyone, we don't owe anyone anything," he said.
The lawmaker hit out at Jubilee politicians allied to Tanga Tanga group. He accused them of undermining President Kenyatta by engaging in early campaigns.
Mr Kamanda said that Kenya has a single elected president who should be given time to focus on service delivery, especially on the Big Four Agenda.
"Let President Kenyatta be given time to serve his second term as he focuses on development and service delivery," he said.
Mr Kamanda called for political tolerance. He urged fellow politicians, especially those in the Tanga Tanga political wing of Jubilee, to desist from politics of violence.
VIOLENCE
On September 8, a church fundraiser at Gitui Catholic Church turned chaotic in Murang’a County after Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro stormed in and vowed to preside over the ceremony which was attended by Jubilee Party leaders affiliated to the Kieleweke group.
Mr Nyoro belongs to the Tanga Tanga faction which supports Deputy President William Ruto’s 2022 presidential bid.
"Some politicians go to church not to pray but to cause chaos, we do not want to witness such incidents in church again,” he said.
"The church must be respected and if anyone wants to play politics, let us go to a stadium," he added.
On the ongoing debate on calls for referendum, Mr Kamanda said that Kieleweke will support Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), an initiative birthed by the March 9, 2018 handshake between President Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
PUNGUZA MIZIGO
He tore into Thirdway Alliance's Punguza Migizo constitutional amendment Bill.
"The initiative has so far been rejected in many counties such as Nyandarua and Kirinyaga and I know it will be rejected across Central Kenya. We are waiting for BBI report and when it comes out, we will go through it and sensitise our people and then agree if its contents will help Kenyans," said the lawmaker.
Mr Kamanda's assertions were echoed by the 2017 Laikipia Woman Representative aspirant Mary Miano who supported BBI.
"We should listen to elders like Maina Kamanda, I am sure he cannot lead us astray. I have gone through Punguza Migizo bill and there is nothing good about it. Let us support BBI," said Ms Miano.
