Kilifi governor hopeful Gideon Mung’aro receiving his certificate from the county IEBC returning officer after being cleared. [Photo: Gideon Mung’aro/ facebook.com]
Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro was cleared by the IEBC on Thursday to vie for the Kilifi governor seat setting stage for a bruising battle against incumbent Amason Kingi.
His clearance for the contest, he said, marked the beginning of the journey to liberate Kilifi from bad leadership.“[This is a] humbling experience,” he said after being handed his certificate by the IEBC county returning officer.“This is a wakeup call to the great people of Kilifi County that the race is now officially on. Thank you for your great support as we forge our way forward to make Kilifi County great again,” said Mung’aro.Cut-throat campaigns for the Kilifi County top seat are expected bearing in mind Mung’aro is challenging Kingi, an opposition strongman who has vowed to ensure Jubilee is handed a resounding downfall after August 8.Mung’aro was elected in 2013 on an ODM ticket but broke ranks with Kenya’s largest party- going by Parliamentary representation and joined President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party.He is critical of opposition leader Raila Odinga who he says has been in politics for a long time but whose leadership has not significantly positively impacted on Kenyans’ lives.He accuses governor Kingi of engaging in “too much politics” at the expense of development.He recently said his first priority, if elected, would be to transform the education, health and agricultural sectors. Mungaro says agricultural development would guarantee food security for Kilifi people.