Kiraitu names potential running mate in race for Meru governorship

Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi and Titus Ntuchiu, when they were prayed for at the Gachiege EAPC in Imenti North on Sunday. Linturi is running for senate seat while Ntuchiu will be Kiraitu Murungi's running mate in the 2017 governors race. PHOTO: PETER MUTHOMI/STANDARD

Even before he secures the nomination to run for Meru governor on any of the political parties in the Mt Kenya region, Senator Kiraitu Murungi says he has picked on a running mate.

The Meru senator says he wants to have motor dealer Titus Ntuchiu on his ticket. Ntuchiu’s selection is viewed as a strategy to weaken Governor Peter Munya who has announced he will seek re-election. Ntuchiu is an influential businessman in Tigania, which is Munya’s political backyard.

It is quite unusual that Murungi, currently of the leader of the Alliance Party of Kenya, has picked a running mate even before the party he want to run with, the Jubilee Party, has been launched.

This has not stopped politicians from aligning themselves to potential aspirants. It is also instructive that Munya’s number two, Raphael Muriungi, has indicated that he will not be seeking the deputy governorship in 2017.

Ntuchiu’s selection is being viewed as part of this alignment — he is from Tigania West, which borders Munya’s Tigania East and is likely to bolster Kiraitu’s standing in the region that was instrumental in propelling Munya to the governorship.

In the 2013 election, both leading contenders for governor were from Tigania.

Munya battled it out with former assistant minister Dr Kilemi Mwiria, who was the outgoing Tigania West MP, and won.  Mwiria has publicly stated that he will also seek nomination to contest the governorship.

But is is Murungi’s early aggressive campaigns that seems to be drawing interest, especially his association with  Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi and Woman Representative Florence Kajuju from Tigania. Linturi says he will seek nomination to contest for the Meru senatorship  while Kajuju anticipates that she will get the nomination to defend her seat.

Murungi last week drummed up support for his potential running mate, should he secure the nomination.

“Ntuchiu is very able to be the deputy governor of Meru and I want to work with him and other leaders to make Meru great. We want to work together as leaders because Munya does not consult anyone,”  Kiraitu said.

Ntuchiu is the CEO of Stantech Motors, a franchise holder of international vehicle brands Chery Tiggo, Grand Tiger, JMC and Sino- Truck.

He is also an Alternate Director of REMU-DTM Ltd, which he co-founded with other professionals and businesspeople mainly from the Meru region.

REMU- DTM is a deposit taking micro-finance bank regulated by Central Bank of Kenya, with branches in Nairobi, Meru and Maua towns.

Meru Deputy governor Muriungi’s early withdrawal from the race came as a surprise. He said to The Standard on Sunday: “I told the governor that I will not be his running mate. I have made that clear to him,” he said. Muriungi said his decision was borne out of the fact that the governor and deputy governor have few benefits for those who leave.   He said he would be running for the Igembe South parliamentary seat.

“The most compelling reason I am going for the parliamentary seat is because I derive more satisfaction working in the constituency. I want to continue the development work I started when I served as the area MP and as an assistant minister,” Muriungi said.

He added, “The job of the deputy governor is not well defined in the Constitution. I started many agricultural, educational and other projects for my people so I want to go back and and run those activities.”

The focus now shifts to Munya who is playing his cards very close to his chest, but says he is  confident he will trounce Murungi, even in the senator’s South Imenti stronghold.

“Everywhere I go people are saying it is me they will elect because they have seen what I have done so far. So I am confident of winning in 2017,” Munya said.

His Water Executive Mary Mwiti will seek the nomination in her quest to become woman representative,    while his ally Mwiti Kathendu  will seek nomination for the Meru senatorship.

Kobia Ataya, Munya’s political advisor, said the county chief will not name his potential running mate before Jubilee-affiliate parties are dissolved.

Meru County Assembly Majority Leader Ayub Bundi said although there has been speculation, that he would team up with Munya, nothing had been decided. “We haven’t talked about it. This is not the right time for that,” Bundi said.

Phares Mutembei – Thu, 14. July 2016 4:17 PM – Politics

Kiraitu names potential running mate in race for Meru governorship

Even before he secures the nomination to run for Meru governor on any of the political parties in the Mt Kenya region, Senator Kiraitu Murungi says he has picked on a running mate.

The Meru senator says he wants to have motor dealer Titus Ntuchiu on his ticket. Ntuchiu’s selection is viewed as a strategy to weaken Governor Peter Munya who has announced he will seek re-election. Ntuchiu is an influential businessman in Tigania, which is Munya’s political backyard.

It is quite unusual that Murungi, currently of the leader of the Alliance Party of Kenya, has picked a running mate even before the party he want to run with, the Jubilee Party, has been launched.

This has not stopped politicians from aligning themselves to potential aspirants. It is also instructive that Munya’s number two, Raphael Muriungi, has indicated that he will not be seeking the deputy governorship in 2017.

Ntuchiu’s selection is being viewed as part of this alignment — he is from Tigania West, which borders Munya’s Tigania East and is likely to bolster Kiraitu’s standing in the region that was instrumental in propelling Munya to the governorship.

In the 2013 election, both leading contenders for governor were from Tigania.

Munya battled it out with former assistant minister Dr Kilemi Mwiria, who was the outgoing Tigania West MP, and won.  Mwiria has publicly stated that he will also seek nomination to contest the governorship.

But is is Murungi’s early aggressive campaigns that seems to be drawing interest, especially his association with  Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi and Woman Representative Florence Kajuju from Tigania. Linturi says he will seek nomination to contest for the Meru senatorship  while Kajuju anticipates that she will get the nomination to defend her seat.

Murungi last week drummed up support for his potential running mate, should he secure the nomination.

“Ntuchiu is very able to be the deputy governor of Meru and I want to work with him and other leaders to make Meru great. We want to work together as leaders because Munya does not consult anyone,”  Kiraitu said.

Ntuchiu is the CEO of Stantech Motors, a franchise holder of international vehicle brands Chery Tiggo, Grand Tiger, JMC and Sino- Truck.

He is also an Alternate Director of REMU-DTM Ltd, which he co-founded with other professionals and businesspeople mainly from the Meru region.

REMU- DTM is a deposit taking micro-finance bank regulated by Central Bank of Kenya, with branches in Nairobi, Meru and Maua towns.

Meru Deputy governor Muriungi’s early withdrawal from the race came as a surprise. He said to The Standard on Sunday: “I told the governor that I will not be his running mate. I have made that clear to him,” he said. Muriungi said his decision was borne out of the fact that the governor and deputy governor have few benefits for those who leave.   He said he would be running for the Igembe South parliamentary seat.

“The most compelling reason I am going for the parliamentary seat is because I derive more satisfaction working in the constituency. I want to continue the development work I started when I served as the area MP and as an assistant minister,” Muriungi said.

He added, “The job of the deputy governor is not well defined in the Constitution. I started many agricultural, educational and other projects for my people so I want to go back and and run those activities.”

The focus now shifts to Munya who is playing his cards very close to his chest, but says he is  confident he will trounce Murungi, even in the senator’s South Imenti stronghold.

“Everywhere I go people are saying it is me they will elect because they have seen what I have done so far. So I am confident of winning in 2017,” Munya said.

His Water Executive Mary Mwiti will seek the nomination in her quest to become woman representative,    while his ally Mwiti Kathendu  will seek nomination for the Meru senatorship.

Kobia Ataya, Munya’s political advisor, said the county chief will not name his potential running mate before Jubilee-affiliate parties are dissolved.

Meru County Assembly Majority Leader Ayub Bundi said although there has been speculation, that he would team up with Munya, nothing had been decided. “We haven’t talked about it. This is not the right time for that,” Bundi said.