- Despite many politicians in Murang'a county professing their support for Raila, only one aspirant has been bold enough to vie through the party.
- Pius Kinuthia, 32, is vying for the Senate seat against five other aspirants.
Pius Kinuthia, 32, has announced he will vie for the Senate seat on an ODM ticket, intriguing residents in Murang'a.
Kinuthia has already printed his campaign materials all branded with ODM leader Raila Odinga's face.
He has been a staunch supporter of the party for over a decade and says he was drawn to it by Raila’s history in the fight for justice.
“I grew up watching Raila calling out graft and fighting for the rights of the common folk and I developed asolid admiration for him,” he said.
Kinuthia said the negative politics being peddled against Raila in the region never got to him.
He says when he decided to join politics, he found himself in the party he had loved for years.
“I also want to let Murang’a people it is not about the party but the personality of the aspirant," he said.
His ambitions, he said, will also demonstrate to fellow youths that they can vie for political positions instead of waiting for hand-outs from politicians.
Kinuthia, a pharmacist, is vying against five other aspirants including former Senator Kembi Gitura, Joe Nyutu, Hellen Wanjiru, and Elijah Churu.
He said if elected, he will offer diligent oversight to the county government and ensure public resources are prudently utilised.
The county, he said, should endorse new entrants without political godfathers in order to breathe new life into its leadership.
He said his main agenda, will be to ensure the health sector is streamlined by ensuring that the resources allocated are channeled to right use.
“I want to dispel the notion that youths are the leaders of tomorrow, we need to vie for leadership now," he said.
"I am not waiting for any endorsement, I will use the little resources I have to go to the people and sell my vision and I will win."
However, Kinuthia said as a new politician, the merger between ODM and Jubilee may end up edging him out during joint nominations.
“This will frustrate aspirants whose parties are not popular but I will not leave ODM," he said.
"I made up my mind to vie through the party even if many are convinced that it cannot not be sold in Murang’a."