‘He paid my school fees,’ says Nyandarua Senator Methu on voting for Speaker Amason Kingi

Nyandarua County Senator John Methu has cited his past relationship with Senate Speaker Amason Kingi as the key reason for voting for him during Senate elections held at parliament buildings on Thursday.

Speaking after the swearing-in of Kingi, Methu recalled his past life as a student at Pwani University where he divulged that the former Kilifi governor paid for his fees and accorded him the required support in his education.

In his warm congratulatory message to the newly elected speaker, the 31-year-old senator said that the ex-governor had greatly contributed to his life, and thus was indebted to vote for him out of gratitude.

“I joined Pwani University in 2013 when you were the governor for Kilifi and I was running to be the leader of the student council…I come from a humble background and didn’t have anything to push me there. I came to your office and asked you to help me, you didn’t know me but you helped me,” said Methu.

“I was asking for posters, you gave me posters and more than I wanted…my mother is there, Janet Wanjiru and she knows that you paid for our fees in the remaining part of the term.”

He added: “When you came to ask for my vote, I was telling you that it is my time to pay back. You didn’t know me then, and I needed not to know you now, I only needed to vote for you.”

In yet another revelation, the lawmaker compared Kingi’s entry into politics at a young age as another factor that contributed greatly to his election in the third Senate.

He argued that Kingi’s past will help to resonate with young leaders who are making their first stab in the legislative houses.

“I had very many reasons to vote for you…you became an MP for Magarini at 32 years and I come as Nyandarua Senator at 31 years…you understand the challenges that young parliamentarians face and you should be able to address them,” he explained.

At the same time, the Senator jested of his experience working as a personal assistant to Nyandarua’s County Assembly speaker and offered to assist Kingi in his new appointment.

"I was working as a personal secretary to the speaker of the County Assembly of Nyandarua, who is in the speaker’s gallery, James Ndegwa Wahome. You will not have a deficiency in your office, I have all the experience that you need from a personal secretary,  I will be able to help," he remarked.