[ad_1]
United Democratic Alliance candidate Francis Muraya defeated his rival from the Jubilee party Peter Thinji in the hotly contested Rurii ward by-election. The results have put Governor Francis Kimemia re-election in a precarious position. Kimemia to win voters in favour of Jubilee candidate had distributed title deeds among squatters in the ward. Muraya also enjoyed the backing of impeached Nyandarua county assembly speaker James Ndegwa.
Francis Kimemia
In the results released by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Muraya garnered 4,303 votes beating Thinji who garnered 3,143 votes. Muraya was declared the winner by the IEBC returning officer Agnes Wanjiku. Isaac Ndegwa of Maendeleo Chap Chap came third with 51 votes, Gerald Njoroge (independent) garnered 21 votes followed by Susan Wangechi of The New Democrats who garnered 17 votes while Peter Gathiaka garnered 11votes. Wanjiku said that 52pc of the total registered voters turned up for the exercise. The ward has 14,467 registered voters. 7,546 votes were cast. Muraya, in his acceptance speech, promised to unite the people of Rurii.
James Ndegwa
“The people of Rurii have spoken and they have decided that it is Muraya who they want to be their MCA. We are urging the county government of Nyandarua to support him in delivering to the people of Rurii,” said Nyandarua women rep Faith Gitau. She was flanked by Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara and UDA secretary general Veronica Maina. The seat fell vacant following the death of John Mburu wa Maria who succumbed to cancer in January this year. The government had distributed about 70 title deeds for colonial village squatters in Rurii ward.
Faith Gitau
This is one of the government’s targeted 35 villages in the county. The 30 title deeds were issued to residents of Turkana village while another 35 were issued to residents of Cosite village in Rurii ward two days to the by-election. Residents of Njabini and Ndunyu Njeru villages were issued with the vital documents during the first phase of issuance early last year. Kimemia led the issuance of the land ownership documents in Cosite village together with Nyandarua county commissioner Benson Leparmorijo and lands registrar
Charles Ayienda.
Source link
