KAF retired pilot Njung'e Kihu joins race for Gilgil MP’s seat
Retired Kenya Air Force fighter pilot Brig (rtd) Njung'e Kihu
Retired Kenya Air Force fighter pilot Brig (rtd) Njung'e Kihu has joined the race for the Gilgil parliamentary seat.
The decorated former soldier wants to vie on a Jubilee ticket and will have to battle other aspirants in the party’s primaries before facing other contenders in the August 9 polls.
Mr Kihu enlisted as a flight cadet in 1979, rising through the ranks to become a brigadier, and was also a former deputy commander.
“I want to use my military experience to improve the lives of the Gilgil people. I strongly believe I have the right credentials to take the constituency to the next level,” he told the Nation.
He spent 35 years in the military and wants to convince Gilgil voters that he has what it takes to represent them adequately in the National Assembly.
The former chairman of the board of directors at Central Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency is credited with initiating several water projects in Gilgil, a record that might work to his advantage.
“I intend to use my vast network both in the military and in the water sector to make Gilgil great,” he added.
He studied at the local Koelel High School before joining the military.
But the first-time politician will face a different ball game in the slippery political arena.
He must work around the clock to beat former MP Mathenge Ndiritu, who recently decamped from The Service Party that is headed by former Cabinet secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri.
Mr Ndiritu is no political pushover and his greatest weapon has been his untainted political image and the prudent use of CDF cash when he was MP.
He is credited with building school infrastructure and other projects in some of the remotest parts of the constituency.
His supporters say education standards improved when was MP. He is also a known philanthropist, using his own money to educate bright but needy pupils.
They say he is also accessible and a good listener.
The winner of the Jubilee primaries will face off with that of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, home to the incumbent Martha Wangari, a no-holds-barred political operator.
Having weathered many a storm to stamp her mark in the political arena, the University of Nairobi statistics graduate honed her skills as a leader in the student union in 2006-2007.
Her backers talk of a political performer with the “energy” to get things done. He is also an astute debater and “hands-on” person who doesn't shy away from political duels.
She left many people guessing on her next political move, before finally joining UDA, led by Deputy President William Ruto.
In the last elections, she rode on Jubilee’s popularity to easily clinch the seat, having defeated Mr Ndiritu in the primaries.
She is also credited with initiating several development projects and maintains that she has a “comprehensive agenda” on what needs to be done, including providing clean water.
Ms Wangari will face off with Mr Stephen Gatimu in the UDA primaries.
