Keep off Thika's politics! Residents, businessmen warn Ichung’wa.

Thika residents and business people during a press briefing where they warned Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa against interfering with Thika Town Constituency politics.

A section of Thika residents and businesspersons have issued a veiled warning to the Kikuyu Member of Parliament Kimani Ichung’wa against interfering with Thika Town Constituency politics ahead of the August 8 General Election.

At a scheduled press briefing in Thika, the residents termed the legislator’s actions as unacceptable unprecedented and unwarranted for they were likely to bring disharmony and conflict in the area.

“As stakeholders in our beloved constituency, we want to caution Kimani Ichung’wa that we will not take it kindly if his reckless utterances cause disharmony in this town. Thika has always been a peaceful constituency and we will not entertain interference from outsiders who will not be with us if it burns,” said Dominic Chege, a businessman in the area for over two decades.

Chege urged Thika residents to reject baseless rhetoric propagated by the lawmaker and his Thika counterpart Alice Ng’ang’a insinuating her fiercest rival Eng. Patrick Wainaina Wa Jungle as a sympathiser of the National Super Alliance (NASA) presidential candidate Raila Odinga.

He termed this propaganda as juvenile, outdated and a clear indication that the current Thika MP had nothing tangible to offer the residents of Thika. He warned that no one should ever try and control the people’s choices for their selfish interests.

“These are the kicks of a dying horse. Thika wants development and not propaganda aimed at fueling animosity that affects our psyche negatively. And if we may ask, what’s that so unique with Ichung’wa’s leadership that Thika people can envy? If anything, we believe that they can only come to us for benchmarking. Kindly stick to your Kikuyu Constituency affairs. Don’t be misused to cause trouble here. Thika ina wenyewe,” retorted Chege.

During a recent visit to Kiambu County by the opposition chief, the two legislators were overheard on a local vernacular radio station linking Eng. Patrick Wainaina with the organisers of the visit. They categorically described the businessman as a NASA supporter who was championing their campaigns in the region.

This talk was geared towards discrediting Wainaina and alienating him from Thika electorate who are presumably staunch supporters of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Chris Maina, a businessman in Thika for over 20 years said that the overwhelming support that was being accorded to Eng. Wainaina by Thika residents was the reason his opponents were currently in panic mode.  

“His (Wainaina’s) vision and ideas resonate with the residents and business people here. That is the reason we are unhappy with their underhand tactics to influence the kind of leadership we would want as Thika people. We challenge them to tackle the real issues affecting us instead of polluting our minds with cheap propaganda. Thika is above that,” said Maina.

Florence Nduta said that even though Thika was predominantly a Jubilee Party zone, the residents were craving for quality leadership in the grassroots and no one should hide behind the party to earn their votes.

“Mambo ya suti Thika tumekataa. Women are the pillars of the family but we will not support anyone on the basis of gender or party affiliation. We will support leaders who empower the women and our youth. Wainaina has shown this through the over 3,000 people who directly depend on his investments for a living. How many people has Alice herself employed?” asked Nduta.

Her sentiments were echoed by Njeri Karanja who acknowledged Wainaina’s contribution to the economy of this region for the last 10 years.

Justus Muthiani, a leader in community policing praised Wainaina’s contribution to enhancing security of this constituency through various projects and programmes that included street lighting and empowering of jobless youth.

John Mwangi Njuguna however challenged the authorities to play their role in ensuring that the electoral code of conduct was adhered to by all players. He lamented that their endless visits and appeals for actions against bleach of the electoral code fell on deaf ears as the perpetrators were always left scot-free to continue with their dirty tactics.

“Anyway, our opponents may use the court of arms to suppress us but we will stand with God. Come August 8, the chickens will come home to roost,” said Mwangi.