Meru's First Gentleman sings Kawira Mwangaza to victory

 Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza and her husband Murega Baichu (holding guitar) at her swearing-in ceremony at Kinoru Stadium. [Phares Mutembei, Standard]

Murega Baichu, the husband of Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza, is a popular musician.

He was a permanent fixture in the rallies Mwangaza held across the county as she sold her development agenda during campaigns.

"In each rally, I opened with a word of prayer before performing some songs. It was usually a mix of cultural, rhumba and mugithi," said Baichu.

Not only does he have a gift in playing the guitar, he also created good melodies people can relate to.

His performances are energetic and he strums the guitar with confidence, a wide smile on his face.

"My husband always had his guitar and people loved his music. His music contributed immensely to my win," said Mwangaza.

"Through the music I was able to praise her visible leadership skills and development," Murega quips.

Murega said combing the expansive county with its nine constituencies was gruelling and he strummed the guitar and sang for her at the end of the day to relax.

For him, strumming the guitar to entertain both residents and the governor is something he has done for years, including during her successful campaigns for Woman rep in 2017.

In addition to composing songs for Mwangaza in their days as a young couple, Murega has sang on Meru's heritage and cultural richness.

Murega toured the world after a Ministry of Tourism and Bomas of Kenya cultural extravaganza in 2008, following the 2007-8 post-election violence. He was picked as one of the winners in cultural music, paving the way to market Kenya as a tourism destination, following the poll chaos.