With less than three months to the August 2022 General Election, People’s Empowerment Party (PEP) has directed its members across the country to vote for the presidential candidate of their choice stating it had no preferred presidential flagbearer.
Speaking in Mwatate during the issuing of certificates to party aspirants, Mr. Stephen Mwakesi, PEP national leader, stated the party was guided by the highest democratic ideals that allowed members to make independent choices on whom they wanted as their president.
He stated that the party would not take any position on the presidential matter but was willing to enter into a post-election coalition with the winner.
Mr. Mwakesi noted that PEP had people’s welfare at heart and would always strive to operate based on what was best for the members. “We are not imposing any candidate on our members. They are independent minded and should use their conscience to vote for the presidential candidate of their choice,” he said.
Mr. Mwakesi explained that though the party did not have a presidential candidate, it would field candidates in all other elective positions; from the post of governor to Members of County Assembly.
According to the party statistics, PEP has candidates in over 30 counties and will aggressively campaign for them to get elected into office.
Mr. Mwakesi is gunning for gubernatorial post in Taita-Taveta County. He will battle it out against 14 other candidates including the incumbent governor Granton Samboja. He disclosed that there are over seven other candidates who are vying for governor’s positions under PEP.
He said part of his manifesto would focus on providing free meals for all learners in public school. This is geared towards fighting malnutrition and addressing the low education standards in the region that is blamed on issues like hunger and lack of proper diet.
He will also bolster the bursary kit from Sh150 million per year to over Sh230 million to ensure all learners receive adequate money to fund education.
“I will start by offering free meals for all learners in our public school. Our children will now focus on learning,” he said.
Mr. Mwakesi however added that his community empowerment projects under his foundation will continue whether he is elected in office or not. He stated that his desire to help the community and empower them was based on a personal need to uplift the lives of his people.
The Party National Chairperson Watson Simiyu said PEP was committed to transforming the lives of Kenyans by focusing on what mattered most. He added that the party had already complied with the gender requirement as demanded by the IEBC and had already received the clearance to field candidates from all over the country. He further demanded that IEBC should observe objectivity and impartiality when dealing with political parties declaring that all political parties were equal.
“IEBC has cleared the party because we have complied with the gender requirement. As we head towards the election, we demand that all political parties be given equal treatment by the electoral commission,” he said.
In Taita-Taveta County, PEP is fielding a governor, a senator and 16 members of County Assembly.
Ms. Anne Kina, a senatorial aspirant, said that she was confident of transforming the county once she become a senator. She promised that her first agenda in parliament will be to demand revenue allocation from Tsavo National Park. She also stated that she would address the boundary between Kwale and Makueni counties.
“We will first work on the issue of sharing of revenue generated from Tsavo National Park between the national and county government,” she said.
