Former Meru Governor Peter Munya has officially declared he will vie for the same seat in case of a by-election or during the 2027 General Election.

Mr Munya said so many delegates have been pitching at his home and whenever he meets people in gatherings, they blame him for the ‘mess’ allegedly witnessed in the County.

He is viewed as one of the Governors who left a track record of developments and his return must give other contesters a hard time.

“I am on a Sabbatical leave and this is just for a short time. I want to make this clear, this leave will not be there forever. We are running out of days. Be assured I will be in the 2027 governor’s race once the trumpet is blown,” Mr Munya said.

In 2022, Mr Munya, being the Agriculture CS, shelved his ambition to unseat then Governor Kiraitu Murungi who had trounced him in 2017.

The Azimio coalition had promised to retain him as CS.

Due to the fallout between him and Mr Murungi, Munya supported the election of Governor Kawira Mwangaza.

Mr Munya said the current wrangles witnessed between the governor and other leaders will derail development.

“I have been following the happenings in the County. I am not pleased by the differences among the Governor, MCAs and other elected leaders. I often meet people who tell me, if it were not for me not vying to reclaim the seat in last election, Meru would not be in the current wrangles. The governor should have mended the fences and united the leaders a long time ago so that residents can get necessary developments,” he said.

The other likely contenders for the same seat include sitting Governor Kawira Mwangaza (if not impeached) Senator Kathuri Murungi, and former Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi.

Ms Mwangaza has been at loggerheads not only with Meru MCAs, the MPs but also with the Woman Representative and the Senator.

Ms Mwangaza survived the second impeachment after the Senate Assembly trashed all the seven charges fronted against the governor by the Meru County Assembly.

The governor was impeached after 59 MCAs voted in favour of the impeachment motion.

She pleaded not guilty to all the seven(7) charges that were leveled against her by county MCAs.

This was the second impeachment she has survived after the first one was thrown out by the same Senate Assembly in 2023.

She is however walking a tightrope after 49 out of the 69 impeached her for the third time.

The senate plenary upheld the impeachment but she quickly moved to the High Court that issued conservatory orders preventing her Deputy Mutuma M'Ethingia from being sworn in.

Ms Mwangaza raised significant legal concerns regarding the impeachment process and the validity of the vote, citing that the impeachment day was not officially gazetted for such proceedings.

According to political Analyst Oscar Mutugi, Mr Munya will have an upper hand in the race as per the arithmetic now.

“Ms Mwangaza got many votes in Tigania and Igembe courtesy of Mr Munya. Her fights against her Deputy Mutuma M’Ethingia and the perception she has sidelined the Igembe region where Mr Mutuma comes from, makes it hard for her to garner votes there. Considering that Munya and Tigania East MP Mpuru Aburi vigorously campaigned for election of Ms Mwangaza and both no longer support her, and if Kathuri vies, he will share Imenti votes with Ms Mwangaza giving Mr Munya an advantage,” Mr Mutugi said.

In the last two(2) months, Mr Munya has opened three(3) offices of his party, The Party of National Unity (PNU) in Imenti North, Tigania West, and Igembe region.

Ms Mwangaza boasts of her development track record as well as her philanthropic initiatives of Okolea Kaana Ka Meru where she donates a cow for needy families countywide.