By John Majau
A heated tug of war has erupted betwee Meru County governor Kiraitu Murungi and the Woman Representative Faith Kawira Mwangaza over the latter academic qualifications to contest for the governor seat.
Kiraitu has sensisionary claimed that Mwangaza does not qualify to contest for the governor’s seat because she does not have a university degree.
Kiraitu’s claims comes barely a few months after Mwangaza declared her interest to vie for the Meru County governor seat in 2022 elections.
The governor said he is very sure that Mwangaza will not be allowed by the IEBC in the ballot to vie because she lacks the mandatory academic qualifications.
He challenged the Woman Representative to name the university she went, show her classmates,her name in the graduation list and the year.
“Am very sure that Mwangaza will not be in the 2022 election ballot as a candidate for the governor’s seat because she does not have a degree which is a mandatory requirement.
We want to know which university Mwangaza went,her classmates,show her name in the graduation list and the year she graduated.
Even if she wants to become a governor she doesn’t have the mandatory academic qualifications needed for one to vie. Let her first bring her degree before misleading the public,” said the governor.
Kiraitu said Mwangaza did not have a degree in 2017 and wondered how she managed to study for three degrees in a span of three years.
“She didn’t have a degree in 2017. I have been in school and I clearly know these things. It is not possible to study for three degrees in three years unless a miracle happened during the course of her study. I have never heard Mwangaza in any university,” said Kiraitu.
But in a swift rejoinder and with guns blazing Mwangaza insisted that she has already acquired three degrees.
She told Kiraitu to be fully prepared for the battle of his life and a resounding defeat noting she is qualified to contest for any seat in the country.
“I have three degrees. Let us meet in the ballot where I will comfortably win and hand him his first election defeat,” said Mwangaza.
She advised Kiraitu to stick to his duty of serving the electorate instead of secretly monitoring other leaders.
“It is not his duty to verify my education. Let him leave it to the IEBC. Is it a must for Kiraitu to know where everybody who want to contest for a leadership position went to school?
Am not his wife for him to monitor my every move. Let him leave me alone. His duty is to utilize the public resources by initiating developments,” said Mwangaza.
She said being educated doesn’t mean one must go around bragging and speaking English in foreign accent even to the illiterate elders.
Mwangaza said education is measured by one’s accomplishments and not mere chest thumping and called on Kiraitu to be prepared to meet her at the ballot because she has the necessary qualifications.
Following the altercations governor Kiraitu has called on the Kenya National Qualification Authority (KNQA) to scrutinize academic credentials and carry out thorough verification exercise of academic documents for those intending to run for public offices.
The governor said it will be impossible for some candidates who had no single degree qualification in 2017 to have acquired three degrees by 2021.
Governor Kiraitu said the verification exercise will promote fair contest especially in the upcoming gubernatorial race in the County.
He urged the people of Meru to assess development and vote according to whoever delivered best.
