Kiraitu’s ‘Mbus’ party getting ready to back preferred presidential candidate
By Brian Malila, January 16, 2022
Devolution Empowerment Party (DEP) led by Meru governor Kiraitu Murungi will not field a presidential candidate of its own but will soon announce its preferred presidential candidate from other political parties.
Speaking during the party’s relaunch in Embu, Kiraitu said the DEP party will make the announcement in three months’ time.
He also asserted that the party will only rally Mt. Kenya East into supporting a presidential aspirant who will guarantee development to the people saying that Mt. Kenya East deserves to be respected in the political dispensation and sharing of national resources.
He argues that while he spearheaded the folding of 13 political parties to form the Jubilee party, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto dodged him after its launch at Kasarani Stadium. He now says he will not ‘auction’ his party again.
The first-term governor said that the vote-rich region of Mt. Kenya East has for a long time been neglected by the Jubilee administration in terms of sharing the national cake and development wise.
The party’s chairman who is also Embu gubernatorial aspirant Lenny Kivuti urged Mt Kenya East not to accept any division by any leader but to secure their vote to have proper bargaining power.
Kivuti said the bus party will not be folded into another party to avoid recurrence of the 2016 incident which saw them lose focus.
“DEP is here until when Jesus comes. We will not sell our bus to anybody, we will move on as a bus,” Kivuti noted.
Kivuti said that he will hold activities in Embu at the polling stations so as to popularize the party and bond with his electorates during campaigns.
He urged all 2022 political aspirants in Embu, Tharaka Nithi, Meru and Isiolo counties to join the party terming it as the only sure bet for those seeking elective positions.