Mwangi Wa Iria: I’m now fully behind Raila
Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya Coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga has received a major boost after Murang’a Governor Mwangi Wa Iria announced that he will support his bid for the presidency in the August 9 General Election.
Governor Wa Iria, whose application for presidency was dismissed by the Independent and Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC), made the announcement on Tuesday, adding that he has held discussions with Mr Odinga.
“Usawa Kwa Wote Party and Azimio have formally joined hands, now it will be Baba, Mama and the son. The son has come,” said Wa Iria who is serving his last term as governor.
The governor also said he will join Mr Odinga in his campaigns to woo more voters from Mt Kenya region.
He lauded Mr Odinga’s pledge to implement a one home, one cow programme if elected president.
“I met Mr Odinga and told him that if we combined his Sh6,000 pledge and my cow programme then we will lift many Kenyan families above the poverty line. We agreed to have this included in our joint manifesto,” he said.
Wa Iria has been holding protests against IEBC after the agency failed to clear him. IEBC in May rejected the politician’s application for failure to collect the required number of voters’ signatures.
According to IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati, Mr Wa Iria delivered signatures from voters in 22 counties which fell short of a minimum of 24 counties.