Resigned Githurai MCA Deonysias Mwangi Waithera has warned Kenyans against electing leaders based on political party affiliation, saying the trend has hindered progress in the country for a long time.
Speaking during Nation Media Group’s Fixing the Nation programme on Monday morning, September 22, Mwangi said Kenya would be a much better place if electorates chose leaders based on ideologies and issues rather than political outfits.
Mwangi gave an example of Roysambu constituency, where his ward is located, recalling how residents were carried away by The National Alliance (TNA) wave in 2013 under retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.
According to him, the party swept every seat in the area, from the presidency to the MCA, only for residents to start complaining two years later and vow not to repeat the so-called six-piece voting.
However, Roysambu residents repeated the same mistakes in 2017 under Jubilee and again in 2022 with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Mwangi, whose resignation is still pending, recounted how he was forced to join UDA at the last minute after residents told him they would not vote for him on another ticket.
“I remember people telling me, ‘Mwangi, we love you, but if you don’t run on UDA we won’t elect you.’ I actually registered as a UDA member after the registration period had elapsed. Fortunately, the party had given us an additional three days to join,” he said.
The resigned Githurai MCA disclosed that he is already facing pressure to join former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) following his resignation.
“Even now, as we speak, there are people telling me, ‘It’s better now that you have resigned; come back with DCP,'” Mwangi said.
He, however, expressed frustration that voters continue to prioritize party affiliation over individual merit. According to him, Kenya will only progress when voters shift away from party waves and begin electing leaders based on their ideologies and leadership skills.
Mwangi resigned last week in a letter to Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Ken Ng’ondi, citing frustrations from Governor Johnson Sakaja. Ng’ondi, however, said he did not accept the resignation because the letter was unsigned.
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