Nakuru Town, Kibwezi, Tigania West and Ntonyiri: More people join in the fray in four poll areas

More people have joined the race for the Nakuru Town, Kibwezi, Tigania West and Ntonyiri parliamentary seats.

Mr John Kimanthi Maingi will be vying against Kibwezi MP Kalembe Ndile, while Mr Madaraka Paul Mwithaga is seeking to unseat Mr William Kariuki in Nakuru Town.

Mr Wallace Mwongera Gichunge has entered the race for Ntonyiri constituency, which is currently held by Mr Maoka Maore.

Dr Mathiu John Kaugiria will be contesting against Education assistant minister Kilemi Mwiria in Tigania West.

Mr Mwithaga, 41, is going for the seat at one time held by his father, Mr Mark Mwithaga.

He has been extremely busy in the town trying to build his own network and revisiting his father’s connections in the constituency to boost his chances of inheriting his father’s seat.

Mr Mwithaga will be seeking the Narc Kenya nomination.

This will pit him against the incumbent, ill Mr Kariuki, and several other politicians.

He first plunged into politics among a group of youths calling themselves the Young Democrats, who campaigned vigorously for President Kibaki during the 1997 elections on the Democratic Party ticket.

Poverty and water

Mr Maingi is a businessman criticises Mr Ndile of failing to address poverty and lack of water in the constituency.

He is campaigning on the platform of addressing it plus bursaries to avoid the current high school drop out rate.

He says if elected, he will help to empower the people using locally available resources.

Mr Gichunge, 33, is a communications consultant who says he will, if elected, seek to encourage all shades of opinion in the constituency.

The hopeful argues that doing this will most probably help to remove the culture of personality worship which, he notes, is currently prevailing in the area.

His priorities, he adds, will be to address the serious water shortage, poor infrastructure and falling education standards.

The hopeful also intends to look beyond the Constituency Development Fund and raise more money as well as seek donor partnership in initiating poverty reduction projects.

He is appealing to the youth for support.

Dr Kaugiria, will be vying in Tigania West on a Narc ticket.

A veterinarian, he has vast experience in the civil service, having served in the ministry of Livestock Development for more than 10 years.

He is associated himself with the politics of the larger Tigania since 1974, and has has been supporting candidates who ultimately made it to Parliament.