Renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist Henry Baita has officially thrown his hat into the ring for the Tigania East parliamentary race, unveiling his developments plans if he win the seat come 2027.
The colourful event held at Luuma Secondary school over the weekend, also marked the completion of the Luuma Multi-Purpose Hall, a community project he initiated last year and which has quickly become a symbol of his development footprint in the region.
Graced by elders, youth representatives and women’s groups, Baita pledged to lead with integrity, humility and an unwavering commitment to service if elected.
Addressing more than 2000 locals ,he described his entry into politics as a continuation of his long-standing mission to uplift communities and help the needy in the society .
Flanked by Mike Makarina, the chairperson of Persons Living with Disabilities (PWDs) in the region, Baita promised a transformative leadership agenda anchored in security, water supply, agriculture, health ,infrastructure and education among others .
Baita further cited insecurity, terming cattle rustling one of Tigania East’s most painful and persistent wounds he promised to push and work with the government to end in the region.
He revealed that last week about 25 livestock were stolen saying residents had lived with fear for far too long.
“Our people have suffered since independence. We cannot talk about development when families are counting losses every other week. Security will be my first battle,” he said, drawing applause from the crowd.
He also promised to champion community policing initiatives, strengthen local security networks and lobby the national government for a permanent security installation in the region.
Water Scarcity Tops Priority List
Baita singled out water scarcity as another pressing challenge, especially in the lower, marginalized belts of Tigania East which frequently face drought.
He said if elected, he would prioritize the expansion of water pipelines, installation of boreholes and development of small-scale irrigation schemes to boost food production and reduce dependency on relief aid.
“We cannot keep crying about famine year after year. With the right investment in water, our farmers will feed themselves and supply surplus,” he noted.
Pledges Continued Infrastructure and Education Boost
The businessman reiterated his commitment to completing projects already in progress in the constituency, many of which he said had stalled due to lack of political goodwill.
He outlined a raft of initiatives targeting schools, road networks and agricultural value chains, promising to fast-track development with transparency, accountability and community involvement.
Also in a political bare-knuckle, Baita took with a local MP accusing him of attempting to frustrate the Luuma event by allegedly warning invited leaders to stay away.
“It is unfortunate. I had invited leaders from across the country among them Oscar Sudi, former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and all MPs from Meru county but they were told to shun the meeting because I had supposedly planned chaos which was a lie,” he claimed.
“I wonder how bringing leaders to donate money for development is considered chaos. Leaders who oppose progress are enemies of growth,” he added.
Call for Unity and Mature Politics
Makarina echoed Baita’s sentiments, urging residents to reject divisive politics ahead of next year’s polls.
“We cannot allow leaders to block development because of their political interests. Let us choose leaders who prioritize progress,” he urged.
The two leaders also rallied support for President William Ruto’s re-election, praising his administration for what they termed as visible and ongoing development projects across Meru County.
“We are supporting President Ruto and his deputy Prof. Kithure Kindiki because we have seen tangible results. All we need is patience as the government completes the work it has started,” Baita said.
