On Saturday, May 28, 2022, Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia made a crucial decision to replace his running mate, Mr. Joseph Mbugua, citing a legal technicality. This move came after consultations with his legal team.
According to the IEBC, public servants who have not resigned six months before the General Election cannot be considered for the position of running mate. This rule was reaffirmed by the High Court of Kenya, which deferred a matter related to the conditionality to June 2022.
Mr. Kimemia explained that his legal team advised him that Mr. Mbugua had not resigned from the civil service six months before the appointment, as required by the law. Given the stipulated legal deadline by IEBC, the governor was advised to replace Mr. Mbugua.
Mr. Kimemia introduced his new running mate, Mr. Isaac Gitura, a quantity surveyor with a proven track record. Mr. Gitura hails from Matundura Village in Engineer Ward, Kinangop Sub County, and holds a Bachelor of Building Economics (Quantity Surveyor) from the University of Nairobi. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Construction Management at UoN.
Mr. Gitura is an alumnus of Starehe Boys Centre and a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a practicing Arbitrator. He has been involved in several social programmes and actively participated in community initiatives aimed at making the county great.
