Outgoing Thika Member of Parliament Patrick Wainaina has advised his constituents against ‘electing a thief as his successor’.

Wainaina who was elected as an independent candidate maintains that Thika residents should only elect a leader who is committed to service delivery.

He said that while there might be a political party euphoria in the constituency, residents should be keen on ensuring that the leader they pick has what it takes to develop the constituency.

He singled out transparency, accountability, dedication to service delivery, vision, credibility among factors that locals should screen in the leaders who have expressed interest in taking over after him.

Wainaina is currently eying Kiambu’s top seat, a position that is currently being held by Governor James Nyoro.

Besides Nyoro, Wainaina will also be facing former governor William Kabogo and Senator Kimani Wamatangi among others.

“I will be going for a top position but Thika must be left in safe hands. While I don’t want to dictate who Thika residents should vote for, it’s important that I advise them to avoid electing anyone based on their party affiliation but how best they can transform the lives of our people here. They should not elect thieves, leaders who have no agenda for Thika or those who cannot drive the agenda of growth,” he said.

In the constituency, parliamentary hopefuls seeking to succeed Wainaina have been stepping up efforts to woo voters and to consolidate their support base in a bid to lock out rivals.

Among the major candidates in the race are former MP Alice Wambui Ng’ang’a, preacher David Kariuki Ngari, Thika Water and Sewerage Company (THIWASCO) Director Juma Hemedi, Youth leader Nduati Njuguna, and former BBI Youth Movement chairperson Boniface Ngigi.