MAUREEN WARUINGE ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST

13 August 2022

• Festus has assured he will not quit politics as he had said

• He blamed his quick decision on emotions

An MCA is trending on Tiktok because of a video of him ranting about losing his electoral bid. After receiving zero votes in Meru, Festus Kithinji, an aspirant MCA, broke down in tears.

In the clip, Festus laments about how he used all of his resources to run for office and support the Mbeu Ward community in Meru.

“Mlikula pesa ya mheshimiwa na hamkuekelea kura? (You mean you people ate my money and did not even vote for me?” he started the video.

He reminded voters that he attended so many fundraising events willingly giving his support to voters, and now feels used and dumped.

“As I stand here, my account reads zero. I put all my efforts there thinking you are giving me this. You, people, are liars, calling me mheshimiwa yet you knew you would never give me your votes."

He added,

"You used to call me for your fundraisings. I have done a lot for you people. For some polling stations, I did not secure even a single person. God will judge you, people. I feel disappointed and heartbroken.”

Festus told Mulamwah in an interview on Friday, August 12 that he has always had political ambitions since campus days.

"You know the HELB loans? When my friends were partying using that money I was saving it."

He also explained how he came to record the crying video.

"I was at the counting session and the votes depressed me. I left the venue with my friend and I decided to go home and leave it to my agents to update me. I was told one place had only two votes from a polling station. I started feeling bad. I saw results on WhatsApp groups, I started becoming emotional recalling all the people I helped and they used my money. So I took my phone and went on TikTok to talk there. I sent the video to Mbeu residents to tell them that they gave me false hopes, that I have spent all my money and I have no future."

After the video, he felt relieved. Festus blamed 'vitu ka ground' statements from Kenyans for deceiving him that he could make it to become an MCA.

"We were 10 contestants for the MCA seat and kwa ground I was told I would emerge the winner, asubuhi na mapema. Who was I to reject their wisdom?"

Sadly, it didn't turn out that way. During tallying process. Papa said that he had been inundated with words of encouragement from Kenyans after the crying video

He said he has only 800bob and to get to the Mulamwah interview had to do a Harambee to get money for transport.

Papa told Andrew Kibe, who made fun of him that,

"Politics is not that game you are playing. Politics needs serious people not like you to find your name on that ballot is not a joke. You (kibe) can't even be cleared by IEBC. So keep off politics kabisa. Out of the 10k registered voters he got 110 votes. After investing all my savings on my campaign I only got those votes."