Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria’s intentions to shift allegiance from President Uhuru Kenyatta to Deputy President William Ruto flopped at the last minute yesterday, following fears he was being trailed by detectives.

The Usawa Kwa Wote party leader had convened a press conference at the party headquarters in Nairobi to announce to the nation that his outfit was planning to work with United Democratic Alliance (UDA) associated with Ruto.

Wa Iria had even drafted a press statement, but after what sources said were calls from powerful State officials, the troubled governor abandoned the move and instead gave an oral statement maintaining that he was firmly in the presidential race.

Sources told People Daily in confidence that the county chief changed his mind at the last minute following a tip-off that detectives were already at his premises ready to pounce on him over undisclosed crime.

“He called the press briefing to throw his weight behind UDA but he got some calls warning him not to take the ‘Kikuyu’ community to that direction. There are people we suspected were DCI officers who had already come to the compound to arrest him if he dared,” said the source.

Contacted for comment on the matter, Wa Iria retorted; “Don’t try to create funny stories around me by trying to appear to get my views. I’ll sue you. Don’t waste my time. Whatever reports you cook, you go ahead and eat. I don’t want nonsense at all.”

The governor has been a subject of focus by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on allegations of presiding over shameless theft of public resources and using the proceeds to spruce his family lifestyle. The Twalib Mbarak-led anti-graft agency has been seeking to repossess two properties the detectives believe were bought using proceeds of crime.

 EACC has told the court that Wa Iria, who has, however, denied owning the properties, influenced the award of Sh542,610,615 media buying tender to Top Image Media Consultants Ltd.

The detectives claim that the firm is owned by the governor’s relatives and associates, and part of the cash was used to purchase the assets.

During the press briefing, the Usawa Kwa Wote Presidential hopeful also dared his political competitors to show their numbers ahead of the polls even as he self-proclaimed that he is the spiritual leader of the Agikuyu community.

Wa Iria, who is the Murang’a Governor, maintained that his base that brings together Muranga, Kiambu, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Laikipia, Nyandarua, Nakuru and Embu counties have millions of registered voters, who should align themselves to his political outfit.

The presidential hopeful exuded confidence that his ‘Usawa Kwa Wote party ’ is already a coalition of the voters, adding that he is poised to win by ten million votes in the August polls.

Yesterday, Wa Iria charged that he had concluded that he won’t join any existing coalition be it Kenya Kwanza, One Kenya Alliance or the Azimio la Umoja championed by Orange party boss Raila Odinga.

Spiritual leadership

Wa Iria was categorical that the ‘Gikuyu and Mumbi’ the cultural and traditional parents of the Agikuyu community had bestowed on him spiritual leadership and cannot fail to vie in the August polls for the presidency.

While exuding confidence that he has already bagged a million votes, he said that just like other presidential contenders have gone to their bases to consolidate the votes, he is also asking the ‘Kikuyu community’ to back his bid, adding that he cannot abscond duty of shepherding the community.

“I can’t abscond the duty of not leading our people. I am a spiritual leader. Gikuyu and Mumbi will confront me if I don’t vie,” he said during a press conference at the party headquarters in Lavington.

He further said that his political outfit is out to seek power, adding that it will field candidates in all positions from the Members of County Assembly to the Presidency level.

“We are out to seek for power and we shall go all the way to the ballot. Our party which stands for equality and equity is a coalition of the voters and there is no other bigger coalition than this,” said wa Iria.

He said that he would be affiliating, partnering and joining hands with the ordinary voters. Now, the Muranga County chief says he already has 10 million votes and dared his opponents in the August 9 presidential election to show what they have.

Wa Iria said he is banking on the Agikuyu community that he said has anointed him as the next president of Kenya.

The governor also said he is in a process of drafting a bill that will advocate for every household to own a cow. He also dismissed Ruto’s bottom-up economic model and Raila Sh6,000 monthly stipend for the poor as unachievable. Wa Iria, 57, was elected as the first governor of Murang’a county and is currently serving his last term.