Farmhand picked my running mate, says Nyeri aspirant

Nyeri gubernatorial hopeful Thuo Mathenge says his running mate was recommended by his farmhand.

Mathenge, who is vying on The New Democrats party ticket, named Esther Wanjiru Maina, a lecturer at Karatina University, as his running mate.

He said his farmhand was employed at Iria-ini in Mathira where Maina comes from and must have known her well.

The young man gave Mathenge Maina's phone number promising him that she is a visionary and a down-to-earth person.

“I believed him because he even had her number despite her being a university lecturer with a doctorate degree,” he said on Friday.

Mathenge said it was easier to believe the farmhand who lives in the village than a person living elsewhere.

The Nyeri industrialist said he had interviewed five people who were proposed by well-off and senior people from both Nairobi and Nyeri but found Maina the most suitable for the job.

“I interviewed three women and two men but eventually, I settled on this woman because I also wanted to empower women politically,” he said.

The aspirant said it is always good to pick someone who has been around Nyeri as they understand better the problems affecting residents.

He said this is better than picking someone from major towns like Nairobi who will end up going back after election.

Mathenge said unlike those recommended by big people, he got her number from a simple person from the village.

"She has worked with the community and assisted many people. She worked as a banker, is a tea farmer and has been a KTDA director. She is also a lecturer at Karatina University since 2009," he said.

Maina was also a pioneer employee of many Wananchi Sacco branches, an institution started by tea farmers.

Mathenge said unlike the current county leadership where the governor has been at loggerheads with his deputy, he respects women.

He said his deputy will be given two dockets to manage if elected.

The aspirant said what is important is not the material possession but the intellectual capacity of someone and that is why he picked Maina.

Mathira constituency, where he picked the running mate, is the second constituency, from Kieni, with the highest number of registered voters.

Mathenge is from Nyeri Town constituency.

The picking of Maina made Mathenge the first gubernatorial aspirant to unveil his running mate in Nyeri. He announced his running mate on Sunday April, 17.

Earlier, members of the party had proposed that Mathenge picks deputy party leader Jimmy Kibaki as his running mate.

However, reports had it that the son to former president Mwai Kibaki was considering vying for Senate. 

Maina said she had never met Mathenge before but was surprised to receive a phone call from the aspirant, booking an appointment with her.

“Mathira has never had an elected woman leader from an MP up. This will be the first time we will have a woman at the rank of a deputy governor, if we win election,” she said.

Others contesting for Nyeri governor are incumbent Mutahi Kahiga (UDA), Senator Ephraim Maina (Jubilee), Gachara Kamanga (Independent) and Peter Munyiri (CCK)

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)

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