Lawrence Ireri has always seen himself as a visionary leader whose future will testify to the grass-to-grace stories we hear frequently.
Hailing from Evurore ward in Embu County, Ireri had always wanted to lead the area’s people.
As the 2022 General Elections loomed closer, Lawrence Ireri made a life-altering decision. Despite holding a well-paying job as an Engineer and Project Manager at 47 Investment Company, he decided to quit and focus on his political aspirations.
His desire to serve the people as a Member of the County Assembly (MCA) motivated this move. Unfortunately, he would learn the hard way that vying for political seats is a gamble, although it was already too late.
Lawrence Ireri revealed in a previous interview that he had a long-standing desire to run for a political position, including the presidency of Kenya.
After completing his secondary education in 2015 at Muthambi Boys, he started his political campaigns for the 2017 General Elections even before acquiring his KCSE certificate.
“I tried contesting for MCA as an independent candidate in 2017 but got locked out by IEBC. By then, I was in my first year at the university and couldn’t even afford to print campaign posters,” Ireri recalled.
In his relentless pursuit of power to serve the people, Ireri gave it another go in the 2022 Elections. This time, his sights were set even higher as he aimed to represent the people in the Senate.
Ireri’s inner circle, including his friends, fans, and family, advised him to aim for the MCA seat instead of running for the Senate.
“I resigned from the job to go and try my luck. My conscious could tell it all that I would win,” he said.
Following his resignation, Ireri had to either win the election or face unemployment since his position was promptly filled with a replacement.
Ireri relied on his bicycle as his primary means of transportation during his campaign, as he could not afford a car. Despite this, he was determined to reach as many people as possible.
The aspirant received a megaphone as a gift from the former Embu Senator and Director of the Geomap Center. With this new tool, he used it to amplify his campaign message to potential voters.
Ireri would begin his campaigns as early as 4 am while most people were still asleep, acknowledging that he flouted the IEBC rules.
“I could go around on the bicycle, cycling using one hand and holding the megaphone in the other hand while shouting ‘Vote Lawrence Ireri’,” he revealed.
Ireri became a well-known figure in the community, so much so that even young children could be heard singing his name.
He realized he was progressing when the local church bought him a new bicycle tire to aid his campaign efforts.
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“I had a realistic and futuristic agenda for the people of Evurore.”
As election day drew closer, Lawrence Ireri’s luck faded. He couldn’t afford the funds needed to obtain an oath of secrecy letter and could not pay for an agent in each polling station as required by the IEBC rules.
He faced another challenge during his campaign as he wanted to run on the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, but the nomination fees were exorbitant.
As a result, he had to settle for an independent ticket and chose a bicycle as his symbol, which he could afford.
“To contest as an independent candidate is easy because one needs only Sh. 500 for clearance from the Office of Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) and another Sh. 2,500 to clear with IEBC,” he added.
But as fate would have it, Ireri did not clinch the seat. Other better-placed candidates won the seat.
Lawrence Ireri now hawks caps at the Nairobi CBD near the OTC bus stage.
“I don’t regret losing because I’m a step ahead in my political career, and I hope I’ll have higher chances of winning in the next election,” he bullishly stated.
Ireri spoke confidently, stating that winning the 2027 elections would open doors for his political career. He believed he could rise to higher positions, including the governorship and the presidency.