- Title: Farmers, jobless vie for votes as small-scale politics spreads in Kenya
- Date: 31st July 2017
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) CANDIDATE FOR COUNTY ASSEMBLY, PETER MARITIM, SAYING: "I have never, in my life I have never seen even a pay slip even if I am given something small I will accept because I want to serve the people. First off all I'm not going there to look for money I am going there to give people service even if they give me twenty thousand (Kenya shillings) I will accept that because I want to serve the people, I want to change people's lives. That's the first thing I will do." BARUT TOWN VARIOUS OF POSTERS OF ASPIRING MCA'S VARIOUS OF ASPIRING MCA JAMES TONGUS WORKING WITH OTHERS AT HIS FARM VARIOUS OF TONGUS DIGGING AT HIS FARM (SOUNDBITE) (English) CANDIDATE FOR COUNTY ASSEMBLY, JAMES TONGUS, SAYING: "Some of them they are just running for salary I can say that but not most of them. Like for me sincerely speaking I don't run for salary, I don't run for salary. I want to help people because I am a capable leader and I have that capability of leading the people of Barut." VARIOUS OF MARITIM ON HIS WHEELCHAIR GETTING READY MARITIM HANDS ON THE PEDALS OF HIS WHEEL CHAIR MARITIM PEDALING AWAY ON WHEELCHAIR MARITIM IN STREET POSTER OF MARITIM (SOUNDBITE) (English) CANDIDATE FOR COUNTY ASSEMBLY, PETER MARITIM, SAYING "In terms of security because I am using my brother as security at the moment and sometimes I don't sleep in my house because you fear maybe they can attack you, your opponent can do that. So I have just been running around just trying to make sure that 8/8 (August 8, the day of the election) I finish on 8/8 very well." VARIOUS OF TONGUS WORKING AT HIS FARM (SOUNDBITE) (English) CANDIDATE FOR COUNTY ASSEMBLY, JAMES TONGUS, SAYING: "The person who I think is going to win is going to use money in fact he is using money now, dishing money to people which I think they are talking advantage of the poor situation the community are." STREET IN BARUT WARD VARIOUS POSTERS OF ASPIRING MCA'S PEOPLE WALKING IN STREET
- Embargoed: 14th August 2017 18:07
- Keywords: Kenya election county assembly election small-scale politics Kenya politics
- Location: NAKURU, KENYA
- City: NAKURU, KENYA
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0036S1TK5J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Peter Maritim rolled along Barut's main street in his home-made wheelchair, shouting out to voters - just one of 13 candidates campaigning for the Kenyan town's single seat in the county assembly.
The unemployed 42-year-old will compete to represent residents of the tiny town near the central Rift Valley city of Nakuru next week with a pharmacist, a headmaster, a former hotel manager and several farmers, many of them independents or members of small parties who entered politics after the government devolved power and money to counties in 2013.
The reforms, part of a democratic overhaul brought in after 2007's elections exploded into ethnic violence, have spurred home-grown, small-scale campaigning in the East African economic powerhouse.
Kenyans will elect a president, lawmakers, and local representatives on Aug. 8, with devolution prompting particularly fierce competition for local races.
The new devolved politics has attracted more than 8,000 independent candidates across Kenya, up from 300 in the last elections. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
