Koigi Wamwere announces bid for Nakuru senatorial seat
Politician Koigi Wa Wamwere.
Veteran politician Koigi Wamwere has announced that he will vie for the Nakuru senatorial seat in this year's General Election.
Speaking to Nation.Africa on Monday, Mr Wamwere said he will vie on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party ticket.
Mr Wamwere, who unsuccessfully tried to vie for the seat in 2017 but lost in the Jubilee Party primaries to Susan Kihika who is eying Nakuru governor seat, claimed that he was rigged out in the Jubilee primaries.
"I will be vying for the Nakuru County Senatorial seat in 2022 on the ODM party ticket and I'm confident I will clinch the party ticket," said Mr Wamwere.
He added: "I feel Nakuru has never had a good senator to represent the devolved unit since the advent of devolution in 2013 and fight corruption in our governance system at the county level. The Auditor-General reports indicate there is widespread corruption in the county."
He said the senate seat has not been utilised well by past holders to fight corruption at the county saying "it seems corruption has not been an issue to those who were elected as senators since the advent of devolution."
“I appeal to the residents of Nakuru County to do due diligence on all candidates vying for the senator seat and vet them to establish whether they are committed to fighting corruption and bad governance based on their past record and that is why I feel of all the candidates I fit the bill as I have been on the frontline to fight the vice at the county and national levels,” said Mr Wamwere who is a former Subukia MP.
He continued: “The people who have so far shown interest to vie for the senator seat have no history of fighting corruption. The senate seat is crucial and it should not be a preserve of people who have amassed wealth through dubious means to hoodwink the residents of Nakuru to elect them.”
Mr Wamwere said his prayer is to have a clean party primaries nomination saying any rigging will result in bad leaders being elected into positions they did not fight for.
"I warn the residents of Nakuru County to know that if they elect thieves of votes in the party primaries that would be tantamount to electing thieves who will steal public money," said Mr Wamwere.
“Some politicians want to win power at all cost through unorthodox means yet there is plenty of room for democracy which should be able to accommodate all the contestants equally without stealing votes at the primaries," said Mr Wamwere.
The seat has so far attracted eight candidates who have shown keen interest and include Industrialisation Chief Administrative Secretary Lawrence Karanja, Keroche Breweries boss Tabitha Karanja, Dr Joseph Mburu, Mr Mike Weche, Mr Davis Ruto, Mr Daniel Kimani, Mr Mwai Gachunga and Mr Andrew Yatich.
