“Laikipia has witnessed
bloody conflicts leading to cattle rustling caused due to lack of pasture and
water,says Reuben Mwai from Wangwachi village.
Entry of Governor
Ndiritu Muriithi in the strategic
Election Campaign Board of the ODM Leader Raila Odinga, could be an inch above
others in the Laikipia County politics if the Azimio La Umoja initiative is accepted.
Photo/ Miriam Wanjiru Mwangi.
Being one of
the key counties in Mt Kenya, Laikipia more than eight contestants work to
dislodge Muriithi who is yawning for a second term to complete the
transformation agenda he initiated in2017.
Concerns in the
county are conflicts related to armed
invasion by armed bandits in parts of Laikipia West and Laikipia North.
Photo/ John Wakaba.
Health care with the locals expressing
concerns over alleged poor management, water scarcity, poor road infrastructure
, poorly equipped Early Childhood Development Education Centres (ECDE) and in
effective County Assembly.
In the August 9, contest the former
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri will be vying
for the Laikipia East parliamentary seat through The Service Party
(TSP), a seat he held between 1997 to 2013.
The county has
246,487 registered voters, where four political initiatives, Azimio la Umoja of
Raila Odinga, United Democratic Alliance of the Deputy President , and Murang’a
Governor Mwangi wa Iria’s Usawa kwa Wote and The Service Party of Mwangi
Kiunjuri will square it at the ballot for all the elective positions.
Photo/ Wahome Koinange.
The Governorship aspirants are Muriithi the
incumbent, businessmen John Wakaba, Mburu Kamau, Wahome Koinange, and Miriam
Mwangi an employee of Laikipia County Assembly.
Others in the race are Laikipia West MP
Patrick Mariru, former Governor Joshua Irungu, former Deputy Governor Gitonga Kabugi and Dr
Joseph Lenai who resigned from the
Muriithi’s cabinet for the national government post.
Photo/ Governor Ndiritu Muriithi.
The political camps
are backed by the keyboard gang which campaign for their candidate as well as attack
the rivals through the social media platforms.
Wakaba says he is
determined to revive the business activities in the county through engaging the
local business persons, and doing away with the leasing programme which was imposed
to deny them opportunity.
Photo/Former Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu.
“The County
government has messed up with the health and agriculture sectors which through
the support of the electorate will be fixed. Insecurity and wild life human
conflict will come to an end through embarking on the local solution and
intervention,” said Wakaba.
The Governor was
elected as an independent candidate while others are affiliated to Jubilee
Party and has remained a focused person, as his administration renovated market
places and major towns that had been abandoned for decades.
Photo/Kamau Mburu.
“I have delivered
Laikipia to a new standard and hope the residents will give me a second term to
continue with the effective service delivery,” said the Governor, adding that
there are more than a 100 bore holes that improved the water accessibility to
the locals who were walking long distances.
At Glance:
“Registered voters
at the constituencies are Laikipia West 110,930,Laikipia East 88,886 and Laikipia
North 46,671.
Igwamiti ward in
Laikipia West has the highest number of voters standing at 40,585 followed by Nanyuki
at 26,732 registered voters”.
“Solio villages
with thousands of people being in dry land have been converted to a food
basket after through partnership with Nanyuki Water and Sewerage
Company (Nawasco) delivered water for domestic
and irrigation purposes,” said the Governor.
Mburu says he will be interested in reduction
of business licenses at 50 percent, allocation of 10 percent towards the annual
education bursary support.
“Am also interested
in the construction of a Level Five hospital that will be well equipped to end
the peoples suffering and also establishment of a farmers training centre in
Laikipia,” said Mburu in his 16 strategies to revamp the county.
Ms Mwangi, the only female contestant, says if
elected she will streamline the human resource department and uplift the economy of the county while the allocation of resources will be prioritized.
Photo/ Laikipia West MP Patrick Mariru
“ Am concerned with the poor state of the health sector and roads in
rural areas where our people have
suffered with little help following
the misplaced priorities by the county government administration,” said
Mwangi.
Koinange said he is concerned with uplifting the standards of the youth saying for decades they have been ignored despite their high number.
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