Boost for Wajackoya as Disqualified Presidential Aspirant Endorses Him

Roots Party flagbearer George Wajackoyah at his office in Nairobi on June 10, 2022.
Roots Party flagbearer George Wajackoyah at his office in Nairobi on June 10, 2022.
George Wajackoyah

Presidential Candidate George Wajackoyah has received a shot in the arm after a former competitor threw his weight behind his unconventional policies.

Speaking to the press on Wednesday, June 22, former Runyenjes MP Njeru Kathangu argued that Wajackoyah's manifesto to legalise bhang and exploit snake farming was aimed at revolutionising the country.

He further added that not all Kenyans would be required to smoke bhang as misconstrued in some quarters but proper research would be carried out to get beneficial use from the drug.

"Whether he is the President or not, he is not going to force people and say 'you must smoke one bhang msokoto (roll) every day.

Former Presidential aspirant Njeru Kathangu
Former Presidential aspirant Njeru Kathangu.
Daily Nation

"Look, research on it, find out what is good from it just like miraa and see what can be done that would benefit us," he stated.

In snake farming, Kathangu argued that the sector was largely untapped sector and that it would benefit the medical field while empowering Kenyans.

He noted that some rare snake species, especially the most venomous, were introduced in the country in1955 while Kenya was still under the British colony.

"We have so many snakes, some of them introduced to this country by the white man when Embakasi was being constructed. It (the construction) was done by prisoners arrested from Meru, Embu and the central province.

"Those fellows were escaping through the forest. The Mzungus decided we don't have to worry about chasing these fellows, The man in charge then was Jeremiah Kiereini, in 1955," he added.

He opined that the commercialisation of snakes was a decolonisation process since most of the prisoners had been used to offer free labour during the construction of the country's largest airport.

"The Mzungus went throughout the commonwealth to trap every venomous snake and they did that. They brought them in baskets. You know what Wajackoyah is saying is something to decolonise us. If you have got such snakes, why don't you use them for profit?" He concluded.

Interestingly, both Kathangu and Wajackoyah are former members of the disciplined forces - the former Runyenjes MP served in the army while the radical presidential candidate was in the National Intelligence Service (NIS). They both were tortured after leaving the service when he fell out of favour with the Moi regime. 

In his quest to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta, Wajackoyah also promised to reduce the country's official working week from five days to just 4, Monday to Thursday, in turn extending the weekend. He is among the four candidates approved to contest.

Kathangu, on the other hand, was disqualified after failing to appear before the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) panel for clearance.

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