Murang'a Governor Mwangi Wairia's development record has proven he is a good leader and we will campaign
for his re-election, some MCAs have said.
They said they regret supporting a motion to impeach him last September, adding that the motion was politically instigated and ill-advised.
Led by majority leader Peter Kihungi, the ward representatives said they have realised their mistake and will rectify it by ensuring the governor is re-elected.
The MCAs included Anderson Muchemi (Kangari), Charles Karina (Murang’a Town), Samson Kago (Mugoiri), David Kabaka (Kambiti) and Peter Mweri (Rwathia).
They spoke on Friday at Kahuro shopping centre, Wairia’s home area.
Last year, 34 out of 49 MCAs voted in support of an impeachment motion tabled by nominated MCA Mary Waithera against the governor.
The impeachment was, however, overturned by the Senate on the grounds that the reasons given by the MCAs did not meet the constitutional threshold.
Soon after the failed impeachment, majority of the MCAs buried the hatchet with the governor.
“I voted to impeach Wairia because I thought he was a bad leader only to realise the allegations made against him were politically instigated,” Muchemi said.
The MCAs commended the governor for his development projects, saying he had managed to improve the lives of residents.
They said some of Wairia’s rivals have launched smear campaigns against him to taint his name for fear that he could become Deputy President William Ruto’s running mate in 2022.
The MCAs said this only two weeks after Wairia represented the Deputy President in a fundraising in Yatta constituency, Machakos county.
“Wairia has done a commendable job in improving development in the county and deserves a second term to successfully complete the projects he has started,” Kihungi said.
The governor said he is ready for a second term and expressed confidence that residents will re-elected.
He expressed concern that residents may lose benefits accrued from the development projects he has initiated if they vote him out, especially in the multi-million dairy programme.
“There is a very big chance that my successor will not want to support the projects that my government has started in a bid to kill my legacy,” he said.
Wairia said if the projects collapse, residents will be thrust back to the extreme poverty they were experiencing before devolution. He said he has provided steady income streams for many residents.
The governor issued licences to more than 200 boda boda operators. He said more than 4,000 riders have been trained in the county to make them competent in a bid to reduce accidents.