Nyandarua Gubernatorial Race Hots

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Nyandarua Gubernatorial Race Hots

To begin with, the race is between three front runners; incumbent Francis Kimemia, former water Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki from Jubilee, and UDA's Dr Kiarie Badilisha who is a local educationist and businessman. 

Wanjiku says that apart from party politics, three other salient issues seem to be driving the county's local politics; identity, agriculture value addition, and water politics. 

Largely an immigrant county that saw her first settlements after independence, the governance consultant indicates that Nyandarua has largely been led by what a section of local voters views as outsiders. 

This phenomenon was pronounced after the entry of the former water cabinet secretary into the race.

“What is being witnessed in Nyandarua is not something entirely unique as it has been ongoing for the last two election cycles," University of Nairobi Dr Samuel Ngigi explains.

That explains why the entry of Badilisha, who was born in Nyandarua, will have a huge impact on the voting patterns in the county's gubernatorial race. 

This can be seen from a recent video clip in which some residents in Embu county asked Kariuki to “come back home and contest.”

If the politics of identity are anything to go by, then the tide is likely to swing in Badilisha's front yard and give him an advantage over the other two. 

The politics of water

As much as water is a naturally-occurring commodity, the policies that govern the availability and supply of water in Nyandarua seem to run deep, literary. 

Wanjiku attributes this to the fact that the country is not only an agricultural zone but also supplies water to Nairobi and Nakuru counties.

"Interestingly, Nyandarua is among the most water-deficient counties in the central region," she notes.

Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 2021 report approximates that only 30 per cent of the county's residents have access to clean drinking water. 

Agricultural value addition

The third aspect that will influence voting patterns in Nyandarua is agricultural value addition, especially on milk and potatoes.

Details indicate that the county is the leading producer of potatoes in the country, and the second in milk yet there are no value addition facilities.

With agriculture being a devolved function, residents are waiting for word on the political aspirants and their manifestos regarding value addition. 

Source: Tuko News





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