#KenyaDecides: Kiraitu Murungi tastes defeat for the first time in long-standing political career
Kiraitu Murungi, who has been in charge of the Meru political orchestra for 30 years, has experienced his first setback.
Murungi’s first loss was dealt by Faith Kawira Mwangaza, the Woman Representative of Meru County.
On August 9, 2022, Mwangaza, an independent candidate, defeated Murungi with 209,158 votes to 110,850 votes.
On behalf of the Devolution Empowerment Party (DEP), Murungi ran for office.
Kawira Mwangaza is gaining an elective seat as an independent for the second time.
In the Jubilee Party primaries in 2017, Florence Kajuju defeated her. However, she won the election for Woman Representative by outvoting Kajuju.
On her maiden try to run for governor this year, Mwangaza defeated a seasoned politician with a spotless record of success.
The 70-year-old Kiraitu Murungi announced his intention to leave politics after serving his second term or if he fails to win on August 9 elections.
In the Jubilee Party primaries in 2017, Florence Kajuju defeated her. However, she won the election for Woman Representative by outvoting Kajuju.
On her maiden try to run for governor this year, Mwangaza defeated a seasoned politician with a spotless record of success.
During the elections earlier this year, he promised Meru citizens that if they would give him one more vote, he would then enter a quiet retirement.
In 1992, Murungi won his first election to the legislature. He ran for the National Assembly seat of South Imenti on the Ford-Kenya Party ticket.
He ran for office again in 2007 under the Party of National Unity (PNU) banner.
He won the Meru senate seat in the general election of 2013 on the Alliance Party of Kenya (APK) slate.
He stood for governor of Meru in the general election that followed on August 8, 2017, ousting the incumbent Peter Munya of the Party of National Unity (PNU).
Murungi held a number of ministerial positions during his time as an MP in the Daniel Moi and Mwai Kibaki administrations, including the respective ministries of Justice and Energy.
Murungi had perfected the art of political repositioning, survival, and survival. He had a keen sense of when to change sides, when to dissolve a political party, and when to form alliances, all to his benefit.
If Kawira Mwangaza hadn’t intervened, he might have retired as a political winner.
Some experts claim that, unlike in the past, he took a bad political bet this time by publicly endorsing Raila Odinga’s bid for president.
Though it was much later when he realized his “error,” he tried to make up by stating that Meru residents were free to select whichever presidential candidate they desired and that he would be fine with either a Raila Odinga or a William Ruto presidency.
