Gospel musician Reuben Kigame has announced that he will be in the 2022 presidential ballot, challenging Deputy President William Ruto, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and Dr Mukhisa Kituyi who are among politicians who have declared interest in the race.
Kigame is rallying individuals who will form his mobilization team to join his social media groups to share ideas and strengthen his agenda.
The Enda Nasi hitmaker said that he was responding to the call of his close friends to vie as an independent presidential candidate in 2022.
"Kenya is in a bad place and if we do not courageously challenge the rot we are in at the moment, we will have ourselves to blame and future generations will not forgive us for letting them down.
"Tough times require tough decisions and mine is such. I will be announcing my bid soon," Kigame said in a post shared in one of the social media groups.
The pastor, a person living with a disability (blind PWD), announced that his agenda will be based on 'Reset Kenya' and 'Make Kenya Great Again' mottos.
Kigame, 55, was born on March 13, 1966 in Bunyore, Vihiga County. He has a Bachelors Degree in Education from Kenyatta University and a Masters in Journalism and Media Studies from Moi University. He became blind at the age of 3 years.
In 2013, he emerged fourth out of six in the Vihiga Gubernatorial election in his first venture into politics. The Theology PhD student and teacher is a father to three.
Kigame has been vocal on the rights of musicians in Kenya, calling out the Music Copyright Society of Kenya for allegedly mistreating artists and embezzling their royalties.
"My songs are played on just about every public event including by police and military bands. Yet at the end of the month I can only look forward to about ksh18,000 in royalties," he posted on his social media pages on Tuesday, March 30.
He has also been a huge critic of President Uhuru Kenyatta's Covid-19 crisis and Building Bridges Initiative management. Kigame lamented that Uhuru was propagating the BBI agenda when Kenyans were dying of Covid-19, sleeping hungry, losing jobs and the economy and health sectors were crippling.
"Kenya is stressed up, Kenya is overwhelmed. This idea of pushing for a referendum right now is tarnishing your image as leaders and there is a price for indifference.
"Kenya is collapsing. BBI can wait. It's not that we do not want the process. We are begging you to stop it until we are safe until children are back to school, find jobs, pay loans and are ready to assemble again. We are not sober to make decisions right now," he lamented.
