The Royal Media Services (RMS) Chairperson, SK Macharia, has revealed the role he played in getting former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to nominate Betty Batuli Montet as a senator.
Speaking on Saturday during the burial of Colonel (Rtd) James Gitahi in Machakos, Macharia revealed that he convinced Raila to authorise Montet’s appointment.
Macharia noted that over the past four general election campaigns, Montet played an instrumental role in standing with Raila throughout the whole period.
This, as per Macharia, seems to have informed his decision to forward Montet's name to Raila for nomination after the 2022 election, even though he had the option of being a Senator himself.
"Mama Wangeci, in all this election, that I have campaigned for Raila throughout the country in road shows, including the Kikuyu Land; sometimes we could be beaten, but she was always there for me."
"So in this election for her to become a Senator, in fact, the Montet wrote me a letter saying, How wonderful are you, SK? You could have convinced Raila to appoint you as the Senator, but instead,d you chose our daughter to become the Senator," Macharia narrated.
Betty Montet was nominated as a Senator in 2022 under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.
She was married to Colonel (Rtd) James Gitahi Nguyo, a veteran pilot renowned for flying former Presidents Mwai Kibaki and Daniel arap Moi.
Gitahi passed away on March 5 in a tragic road accident at Kyumvi Junction on Mombasa Highway after his vehicle collided head-on with an oncoming lorry and burst into flames.
The retired pilot was alone in the vehicle at the time of the accident. The head-on collision caused his car to catch fire, leaving his body burnt beyond recognition.
According to witness accounts, the retired military pilot was overtaking another lorry when he misjudged the distance of an approaching truck. The impact sent his vehicle off the road, where it caught fire, trapping him inside.
Unfortunately, emergency responders were unable to reach him on time, leading to his death.
