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From River Road to EALA: I borrowed a tie to access House chambers
21/11/2022 12:31 in Politics News

At 2pm on Thursday, when the election of Kenyan nominees to the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) was going on in Parliament, Godfrey Mwangi Maina Karobia was in downtown Nairobi’s River Road running his errands unperturbed.

Having missed out on the list of five names that were chosen at State House the previous day, Mr Maina had lost the most important support and backing, that of President William Ruto. But even then, he refused to give up saying “he has a spirit that never gives up”.

That Wednesday evening, Mr Maina thought about the next move just hours before the voting day. Although he convinced himself that he can still make it, a call from his mother that evening made him think twice.

“My mother called me on Wednesday evening and told me she has read the names from State House and that I’m not among the chosen ones. At this point I knew that I had lost it,” Mr Maina said.

In his first interview after the election, Mr Maina recalled how he sauntered into the precincts of Parliament on Thursday at around 6.30pm when counting was underway but could not access the Speakers’ gallery because he did not have a tie .

“I borrowed a tie from one of the MPs so that I can be allowed to access the chambers to follow the counting of votes. I was at peace with myself knowing that I had foot soldiers who were doing the work for me,” Mr Maina said.

“I did not dress up as a person who was expected to go to Parliament. I just woke up to run an ordinary day. I do not ordinarily pray before I leave my house but on that particular day, I knelt and prayed,” he added.

He says majority of MPs did not know him but they overwhelmingly voted for him. “I would pass them in the corridors talking about Maina ...”

“I want to thank our MPs across the political divide for seeing me through the political prism but a person who can bring value to our country through competence. They viewed me as a leader of this generation who can inspire others,” Mr Maina said.

He revealed how women MPs played a major role in his campaigns by talking to other colleagues to vote for him.

“Women MPs from both Azimio and Kenya Kwanza delivered this seat to me, they told me ‘my son don’t worry, we will hold your hand’. They would take me to other MPs’ offices and plead with them to vote for me,” Mr Maina said.

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