Mwangi Wa Iria keeps his cards close to chest in bid for top job

 

Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria during the launch of Wachuuzi Sacco at Mumbi Grounds in Murang'a on January 27, 2022. [Boniface Gikandi, Standard]

His portraits dot major towns and busy highway intersections. He is on TV adverts and occasionally makes comical statements on where he wants to see Kenya after the General Election.

Murang’a Governor and Usawa Kwa Wote party leader Mwangi wa Iria has also been urging Mt Kenya residents to register in large numbers and turn out to vote when that time comes.

Mr Wa Iria and National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi are the only leaders from Mt Kenya region who have declared interest in the presidency.

Political party leaders from the region led by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria of Chama Cha Kazi, Nyeri businessman Thuo Mathenge of The New Democrats (TND) and Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi of Devolution Empowerment Party seem to suggest that the presidential candidate will come from elsewhere this time around.

But Iria is staying put. He maintains that his name will be on the ballot. He avers that he won’t backtrack.

“They said there are only two horses but I say to them, am I not a horse? Maybe I’m a mongoose but I will ensure that all Kikuyus vote for me,” says wa Iria.

The second-term governor has chosen the comical path to express his ideas and why he should be elected. “I’m tribal when it comes to the August 9 polls. We have been had Kikuyus vie for presidency in all elections and we won’t stop now. I will be filling the gap this year, and my name will be in the ballot. Gikuyu and Mumbi who lived in Mukurwe wa Nyagathaga blessed me to be elected twice and I won’t fail them, I must vie for the presidency,” he says.

If elected president, he has promised to donate a cow to every family. With his party symbol of a cow, he now wants all parties to give Kenyans what appears on their logo. UDA’s party symbol is a wheelbarrow while ODM is an orange. Ford Kenya’s symbol is a lion and Wiper Party symbol is an umbrella.

Iria has increased his online presence and a clip of him jogging and running while wearing rovers went viral. He said he was preparing to climb Mt Kenya to mount his political party flag at the top of the mountain, accompanied by more than 5,000 followers. 

Although his journey to climb the mountain is yet to begin, the comical statement went viral. Other than billboards, Iria is yet to hold any major rallies outside Murang’a.

A convoy of branded vehicles toured Mt Kenya counties to popularise Usawa Kwa Wote party last year, but he has been missing in action.

Billboards bearing his image and the words President Wa Iria 2022 have been erected at strategic points from Murang’a, Kiambu, Nairobi, Laikipia, Mombasa and other counties with party officials saying they will be put up in all the 47 counties. This has made critics term him the “billboard president.”

Usawa Kwa Party was the first to be registered in Mt Kenya region but seems to be losing key lieutenants to rival parties.

But Usawa Kwa Wote party’s organising secretary Patrick Muigai says Iria has been operating underground and when he embarks on campaigns in the mountain, it will be like a tornado.