A section of church leaders in Kirinyaga
has asked voters to reject leaders offering them money to vote for them in the
forthcoming general elections.
The leaders claim that some of the gubernatorial
candidates were dishing out money during campaign rallies to influence their
election.
The clerics under the aegis of Yes Pastors
Forum said some of the gubernatorial candidates have no development track
record despite having been elected leaders.
Led by their chairman, Archbishop Dr.
Daniel Njagi, the forum further accused one the candidates of engaging in
insults and propaganda to tarnish the image of their opponents instead of
selling their development agenda.
“They are giving out money in
campaign rallies to confuse voters. We are asking our people to elect leaders
who have Kirinyaga at heart, those with a good development track record and
have a clear agenda to move our county forward,” he added.
They further endorsed Governor Anne Waiguru
for a second term saying that she stands out among the other candidates because
of her transformative leadership.
“We have seen the work that Governor
Waiguru has done for Kirinyaga, her development record stands out for everyone
to see and therefore we want to ensure that people make decision based on the
candidate’s track record,” the Archbishop said.
Reverend Stephen Kimotho and Pastor
Eliud Ndegwa of Akorino Church said the gubernatorial race in Kirinyaga has
attracted many candidates and therefore the need to get the best among them.
“The contest for gubernatorial seat
in kirinyaga should be about development and not insults and chest thumping.
Some of the candidates have a poor development record and are known for the
wrong reasons,” Rev. Kimotho.
Citing various development projects
initiated by Waiguru among them the Kerugoya Medical Complex, cabro paving of
all major towns, tarmacking of roads, supply of water and start of many
agriculture value chain projects among them poultry, pig, fish, tomato and
avocado farming, the clerics said the
county has witnessed development never seen since independence.
They asked other church leaders to declare
their stand so as to help their followers make informed decisions.
At the same time Governor Anne Waiguru
continued with her campaigns, this time asking voters in Mwea to support United
Democratic Alliance (UDA) party candidates in the August 9 polls so as to help
address problems facing rice farming.
Waiguru said it’s only UDA which has a
clear manifesto touching on rice farming.
The UDA candidate who spoke during a
campaign rally at Mathangauta, Gathigiriri ward, asked voters to give her
another term in office so as to continue with the transformation journey she
started five years ago.
She said her opponents have no clear
development agenda for the County and were only pursuing self-aggrandizement.
“My development track record speaks
for itself, my opponents have no development agenda. That is why I am the only
agenda in their campaigns,” she said.
