Women in Kiambu are reaping big in the political arena as gubernatorial candidates pick female running mates for the General Election slated for August 9 2022.
As the May 16th midnight deadline for nominating Deputy Governors approached, candidates unveiled their running mates with former Governor William Kabogo picking Esther Ndirangu.
Ndirangu was the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Education and Social services in Kabogo’s government that ran from 2013 to 2017.
Kabogo and Ndirangu will be vying under the Tujibebe Wakenya party which the former Governor leads, an affiliate of the Kenya Kwanza coalition.
Thika Member of Parliament Patrick Wainaina WaJungle who is also gunning for the seat selected former Kiambu women representative Anne Nyokabi to be his running mate in the electoral contest.
Nyokabi was the first Women Representative for Kiambu and lost the seat to the current holder Gathoni Wamuchomba in the 2017 elections.
The pair will be seeking the seat on an independent ticket after the Thika Town MP lost the United Democratic Alliance ticket to the current Senator Kimani Wamatangi who is also vying for governorship this time round.
Wamatangi had not disclosed at any fora his running mate. Last month he said he would pick his running mate from any ethnic group in Kenya.
Gatundu South Member of Parliament Moses Kuria on his part Monday named Faith Mwaura, a real estate expert to run with him on a Chama Cha Kazi party ticket while the incumbent Governor James Nyoro will team up with June Njambi, a health sector expert to seek a fresh term through the Jubilee Party.
These nominations follow the announcement by Presidential Candidate Raila Odinga that former Cabinet Minister Martha Karua would be his running mate under the Azimio la Umoja coalition
The former Prime Minister, while making the announcement emphasized on the importance of having women in the country’s leadership, saying that their time had come.
Karua had previously served as Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister in the former President Kibaki’s government, has been a magistrate, is in private law practice, and has also served as MP for Gichugu constituency in Kirinyaga for over 20 years.
If the Azimio coalition clinches victory on August 9 this year, Karua will be Kenya’s first female Deputy President.
