Eight candidates are set to battle for the Kirinyaga County gubernatorial seat in the August 9 general election.

So far, three leaders have already been cleared by IEBC while three more are set to present their papers for clearance at the electoral body’s offices in Kerugoya town on Sunday, June 5.

Among the three cleared to vie for the county’s top seat are former governor Joseph Ndathi, Kirinyaga County Woman Representative Wangui Ngirici and area Senator Charles Kibiru.

The outgoing Senator and his running mate Peter Ndambiri were the first to present their papers to the County’s IEBC Elections Manager Jane Gitau in Kerugoya town.

Ndambiri is also the county’s outgoing deputy governor. He has served under Governor Anne Waiguru for the last five years.

Speaking to the media moments after receiving the green light from IEBC, Kibiru said having been a Senator and Ndambiri a deputy governor, the team is best suited to steer the county into greater heights of prosperity.

“Having been a Senator whose work is to oversight the counties and with Ndambiri having been a deputy governor is such a formidable combination that will make us run the county according to the wishes of Wanjiku, our employer,” Kibiru told the media.

He said his Jubilee team had commissioned a group of professionals to go round the entire county seeking views from the area residents as to what their aspirations were as well as their priorities.

“What was collected by these professionals forms the basis of our Manifesto which is people-driven and we are assuring the residents we will go by their scrip in order to achieve what they have missed over the years,” he stated.

On line to be cleared was Peter Kariuki Ireri of Amani National Congress (ANC) party who was, however, turned away after his running mate failed to turn up on a technicality.

Ireri was, however, rescheduled to bring his papers on Monday, May 6, paving way for the third contender Ndathi of The Service Party (TSP) to be vetted.

Ndathi, who served as the first governor of Kirinyaga, took the shortest time to get IEBC’s nod to vie, this being his second time to undergo the process after he won the same seat in the 2013 general elections under the first crop of a devolved system of governance.

Ndathi arrived at the venue shortly after 10:00 am accompanied by his running mate Dr Judy Wathata Kinyua and a group of supporters.

Within less than 30 minutes Ndathi and his running mate were cleared and made their maiden campaign statement.

He assured medics sacked by the outgoing administration that should he win the seat they will be back to their respective workstations the following day upon being sworn in.

Ndathi further vowed to ensure all the stalled projects the Waiguru administration had abandoned were revived and completed within the shortest time possible.

He cited the Kerugoya Referral Hospital which was to become a level six facility, as well as a training institution in collaboration with the Kerugoya University.

He claimed the project stalled after he was rigged out during the 2017 general elections at the nomination stage.

“We also had KEMRI at Wamumu Ward which was sabotaged by the Waiguru administration which was a Ksh15 billion project but once we are back in office, it will certainly be revived,” he said.

After Ndathi was cleared, it was Ngirici’s turn.

Ngirici hit the ground running after being cleared to vie as an independent candidate. She went on to address a mammoth rally at the nearby Kerugoya stadium.

She was accompanied by her running mate Eliud Wanjau.

“I will ensure to provide a servant leadership unlike the current one where no voter can access the governor yet she was given the power by the very electorate she so much despised, “ she said to cheers from the crowd.

Ngirici, who is also the outgoing area Woman Representative, said Kirinyaga people will not allow ‘foreigners‘ to dominate them politically and the time was now ripe for the locals to be led by their own.

Waiguru is scheduled to present her papers tomorrow while Ireri, who was given a second chance, will also do so later in the day.