Muranga Governor Mwangi Wa Iria has claimed that he is being intimidated to drop his presidential ambitions in favour of a state-sponsored candidate.
While addressing the press on Monday, September 6, Iria stated that his presidential tour in Nyandarua County was halted after his caravan was stopped by the police.
The governor further stated that presidential candidates out of the Central Kenya region were being offered preferential treatment.
“They blocked the road in Nyandarua stating that I am not supposed to enter Nyanadarua. So the question is, am I a lesser presidential candidate?” Iria posed.
“We had Musalia on Saturday with his entourage. He went around Nyandarua with the governor of Nyandarua. On Sunday we had William Ruto… What is most unfortunate is that my caravan in the same place was stopped,” the governor lamented.
He added that these candidates were receiving state protection during their tours of the region.
“Raila, Ruto, and Musalia have visited Mt Kenya and received police escort. However, instead of my caravan being escorted, the police were brought to block my caravan. They are being given police escorts to come and pick our votes but when I want to tour my region, I'm not allowed,” Iria added.
The Muranga Governor alluded that the actions by the police were meant to influence his political standing.
“We are being profiled. We are being caged. We are being boxed and our voice is not supposed to be heard,” the governor stated.
The Usawa Party Leader stated that he would continue with his presidential tour in the region, stating his name had to be on the ballot in the 2022 General election.
“I am a presidential candidate. No amount of intimidation, no amount of policemen, no amount of roadblocks will stop me,” Iria stated.
Iria becomes the second governor from the Mt. Kenya region to cry foul of political intimidation after Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru.
On Saturday, September 4, Waiguru complained that she was being targeted after expressing her disinterest in reviving the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
"Last time I said …on BBI let me keep quiet a bit...' immediately, EACC raided my office… Recently I said am '… introspecting on the political way forward…' and again, immediately I get EACC summons, complete with all the subtle threatening inflexibilities… and media alerts on an alleged payment of 52m," Waiguru stated.
