Maara Member of Parliament Kareke Mbiuki and Tharaka Nithi County Assembly Speaker John Mbabu have been accused of interfering with the bodaboda operator’s elections.
A fight ensued outside Kathwana social hall on Tuesday between two factions of Maara Constituency Bodaboda Operators’ Association team that had turned up for county elections forcing police from Kathwana Police Station to intervene.
A group of operators led Mr Martin Kinyua, Mitheru ward chairman accused the constituency’s chairman, Loyford Munene alias Kawasaki of being used by MP Mbiuki to manipulate the elections.
Kinyua said before proceeding to the voting exercise, Mr Kawasaki and a section of Maara and Chuka/Igambang’ombe bodaboda leaders met Mbabu and Kinegeni, Mbiuki’s personal assistant at Kajuki Eco-Lodge where they were guided on the people they should vote and were given Ksh5000 each.
Kinyua added that instead of informing the ward chairmen who are supposed to participate in the county elections, Kawasaki picked his friends to Kathwaana which also caused an uproar with those from Tharaka constituency.
“Those who are supposed to vote at the county level are chairmen of the wards but Munene avoided us and picked his friends who are not even bodaboda operators,” Said Mr Kinyua.
However, Kawasaki denied all the allegations noting that though he works in Mbiuki’s office, he is a registered bodaboda operator and that he had not received any money from any politician.
Cooperative official, Munene Kirigia called off the elections and asked the leadership of the three constituencies to back to the grassroots and bring the right delegates for the county elections.
He noted that the exercise must be free and fair for the association to remain united and that he would not allow people who are not elected at the grassroots level to participate.
“I have canceled the elections due to the disagreements so that Maara constituency leadership can go back and solve their differences and then bring the right delegates,” said Mr Kirigia.
Mr Evans Kinoti, Tharaka chapter chairman said the plan by the two politicians is to lock out Tharaka constituency from the top positions so that they can easily manipulate the leadership during the 2027 elections.
He noted that Tharaka constituency would withdraw from the county association if the elections were not free and fair.
“The challenges which we are facing are being caused by politicians who are planning to use us in the 2027 election campaigns,” said Mr Kinoti.
The operators claimed that Mr Mbiuki who has already announced his bid to run for the Tharaka Nithi County gubernatorial seat in 2027 plans to pick Mr Mbabu as the running mate and that is why they are joining hands to manipulate the bodaboda’s elections.
Mr Kiraku was reportedly shot dead by a police officer during demonstrations in Chuka town in April this year, a matter which is in court.
There are more than 15000 bodaboda operators in Tharaka Nithi County and they are very influential in campaign mobilisation.
Politicians also use bodaboda operators to counter their opponents and ferry their supporters to the polling stations during the voting day.
