UDA MP Betty Maina vows to repossess Ol Kalou campaign boats after landslide defeat

Murang'a Woman Representative Betty Maina has vowed to rally the government to collect boats delivered to Ol Kalou during the heated campaign period.

In a Facebook post shared on Thursday evening, the legislator defiantly insisted that the campaign assets would not be left behind.

"All Said and Done. Hii tutarudi nayo. Gataru Tutiratiga," she wrote, declaring in a mix of Swahili and Kikuyu that they would return with the vessel and not leave it behind.

Betty accompanied her caption with a photo of the branded boat being hoisted into the air on a crane truck.

Her seemingly bitter post came as provisional results from over 80 per cent of the 144 polling stations in the Ol Kalou by-election showed Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru taking a clear lead.

Waweru is running against Muchina Nyaga of the ruling United Democratic Alliance, whom Betty actively campaigned for.

Both political camps had been on a heated, high-stakes campaign trail in the cold, sleepy town in a bid to rally voters for their respective candidates.

However, the most poignant and heavily discussed moment of the campaigns was the delivery of motorised fishing boats to Gwa Kiongo Dam and Mirangine Dam.

The state insisted the vessels, delivered under a Sh45 million Blue Economy initiative by Blue Economy Principal Secretary Betsy Njagi, were meant to expand local fishing activities and boost livelihoods.

The move nonetheless sparked widespread amusement and mockery online, with critics questioning the practical use of marine vessels in a landlocked, potato-farming hub.

Residents and opposition leaders widely characterised the donations as a desperate voter inducement and bribery scheme ahead of the mini-poll.

"William Ruto amemwaga pesa hapo Ol Kalou Ksh1 billion. Pale hakuna hata change ya elfu moja," Gachagua claimed during a meeting at his Wamunyoro home on July 3, further alleging that the presidency had splashed Sh1 billion in the area.

"Ukinunua chai unalipa na elfu hata kama chai ni ya mia moja; hakuna change. Unaambiwa, 'Na ujue hapa hakuna change'. Pale pesa inatumika ni elfu moja," he added, noting that residents were forced to make small purchases like tea with Sh1,000 notes because no change was available.

Now, with the election sliding away from the ruling party and top UDA figures conceding the race, Betty's threats to repossess the boats have further fueled concerns that the state-sponsored development projects were heavily tied to political support.