By Steve Muthini
Academicians, professionals and women leaders are among groups of supporters who have now thrown their weight behind United Democratic Alliance Chairman and aspirant for Machakos County, Johnson Muthama, following the nomination of Professor Faith Muli as Deputy Governor who was unveilled at the African Brotherhood Church Kangondi in Vyulya on Sunday.
During the ceremony Prof Muli who is a pathologist and the Director of Machakos Medical and Technical Training College was also hailed as a competent curriculum developer and a team player.
Dr Mumo Matemu one of the academics at the ceremony said they were working with Prof Muli to develop the curriculum for a proposed ABC University adding the people of Machakos were lucky to get a leader of her caliber to work with Mr Muthama who was also a national leader in politics.
“In the education sector we have Faith and in politics and development we have Muthama who is known for his business acumen. Faith is backed by all the known academics in this region,”said Dr Matemu while endorsing the Muthama-Faith ticket.
Other academics who endorsed the ticket included Prof Emmanuel Mutisya an economist from Makueni County,Dr Matheaus Kauti an Environmental expert from Kitui County and Dr Mwaya Wa Kitavi who is vying for Kathiani constituency seat.
“leaders are known for their stand on issues and Mr Muthama has a firm unwavering stance.He is not a person seeking leadership in order to buy a new car or a new house.He is coming to serve the people,”said Dr Kitavi.
ABC chairlady Priscilla Muthama said Prof Muli’s nomination as DG was a big step towards women empowerment and urged all women to rally behind her and the UDA govenor aspirant.
Prof Muli said she was humbled to be nominated as the Deputy governor designate to Mr Muthama who stood for the unity of the region and Kenya in general.
She said she will fully support Mr Muthama and that there will be no infighting in the county government should the two be elected in August.
“I will support Mr Muthama a hundred percent and there will be no infighting since I believe in work and we are coming to work for the people of Machakos,”said Prof Muli adding that her candidature addressed both the gender issue and the academic sector.
A university don now teaching at the South Eastern Kenya University said his University fees was paid by Mr Muthama while he was the MP for Kangundo constituency.
Lawyer Joel Kyatha Mbaluka who is vying for Machakos Senate seat on UDA ticket said the county had many educated young people who lacked jobs because of mismanagement of county resources and urged the people to vote in a UDA government to rectify the situation.
He said the Kamba Community was lucky to have a chairman of a party that was likely to produce the next president and should take advantage by voting Mr Muthama as governor and himself as Senator in order to streamline governance issues for the benefit of the people.
“You’ve heard Kitui people confess that they have now found a leader for the community.You’ve heard Makueni people testify the same.You have the opportunity to take advantage and elect Muthama as your next govenor,”Mr Mbaluka said.
The various leaders and professionals drawn from Kitui, Machakos and Makueni said Mr Muthama was not only fit to be the govenor of Machakos but was also a regional leader with the interests of the Akamba Community at heart.
Mr Muthama said as UDA chairman he had ensured no region was descriminated in the sharing of the national cake adding together with 200 professionals they had drafted a memorandum entailing the development needs in Ukambani region.
He said he will soon call for a regional meeting at Komarock where the development agenda of the region will be launched at a ceremony to be witnessed by UDA Presidential candidate Dr William Ruto.
“When people are talking about Mudavadi and Wetangula signing a document to share government I want to tell you that that conversation is not about Western Kenya but the whole country and we are there.We have a document drafted by 200 professionals from the three counties of Kitui, Makueni and Machakos detailing our development agenda and soon we are going to call a meeting of 10,000 people from the three counties and the diaspora at Komarock where the Deputy President will endorse the draft so that he implements it when he takes over as President,”said Mr Muthama.
He said there was no discrimination in UDA regardless of tribe but was aware that opponents were claiming that the UDA government in waiting had already been shared.
