• Jimmy said everyone has their own advisers and one of his main advisers is his father.
• He made the pledge after TND supporters told him he should consider being Mathenge’s running mate.
Image: EUTYCAS MUCHIRI
Jimmy Kibaki is this week expected to announce whether he will be Nyeri governor aspirant Thuo Mathenge's running mate.
He said he needs to consult his father, former President Mwai Kibaki, and two other people before making a decision.
Jimmy made the pledge after The New Democrats (TND) supporters told him that he should consider being Mathenge’s running mate. He is the deputy party leader and Mathenge is the national chairman.
He said everyone has their own advisers and one of his main advisers is his father.
“A wise man always consults his advisers and close friends. I also have a boss and he will be the first one I consult. If you don’t know who my boss is, you will know who he is. That is mzee,” Jimmy said on Tuesday.
“Mzee akikubali [if father gives his consent], then we are halfway there. Then we will consult two other people and we will definitely make a decision by next week.”
Jimmy made the promise at Bantu Africa Resort in Nyeri.
However, Jimmy expressed optimism that Mathenge will be the next governor for Nyeri, saying he did his homework well before deciding to contest.
He urged residents to give Mathenge a big team of MCAs to work with.
Jimmy said Nyeri being the home of TND, the party must produce a majority of MCAs in the county assembly, all six MPs, the senator, the woman representative and the governor.
“Nyeri must be under the control of TND. If we are not winning in Nyeri, it doesn’t matter what we are doing elsewhere because nobody will take us seriously,” he said.
He said winning a majority of the seats in Nyeri will ensure that whoever wins the presidency will take the party seriously.
Jimmy urged aspirants to agree who among themselves is the strongest and step down for him or her to ensure the party wins majority positions.
Those who will step down for their colleagues, he said, will be considered if TND wins top county government seats.
Jimmy advised aspirants not to go into politics just for the sake of it but ensure they first marshal enough support needed to win before deciding to contest.
“If you are going for a seat, please make sure as much as possible that you can get between 40 and 50 per cent of the registered voters to back you before elections,” he said.
This, he said, will ensure after the official campaigns start, one will just need an additional 10 per cent to win.
Going ahead to contest without proper backing by voters will be a disservice to the candidate and the party, Jimmy said.
He said Mathenge’s investments in the county speak volumes about him.
Mathenge is an industrialist whose investments in the county are estimated to be in the region of billion, which Jimmy said shows he is visionary and capable of leading the county.
He urged voters, especially the youth, not to be cheated by people giving them handouts but instead vote for people giving them investment solutions, employment solutions and a vision for the future.
Mathenge said if elected, he will ensure his deputy is busy and participates actively in the running of county government by ensuring he gives him or her one or two departments to run.
Edited by A.N