James Munene Timothy Empowers Nyaki East Youth Through Football, Seeks Support for MCA Seat Ahead of 2027 Elections

By Brian Gitonga

Nyaki East Ward Member of County Assembly aspirant James Munene Timothy has presided over a football tournament aimed at fostering unity, empowering the youth, and promoting social development across Nyaki East.

The second edition of the tournament, dubbed “Sakata Dimba na James Munene Timothy,” was held at Kiamwitari Grounds bringing together hundreds of residents and football enthusiasts from across Nyaki East .

Speaking during the tournament, Timothy said the main purpose of the tournament was to bring together people from all corners of Nyaki East through sports. He emphasized that the initiative was organized by the youth themselves, demonstrating their ability to unite and lead development efforts from the grassroots level.

“This tournament is meant to bring together all the people of Nyaki East together and the tournament is organized by your children. We have something that we call Nyaki East Sports Management Committee which was formed by your children and is represented from kwa Ng’ombe to Nkabune, to Rwanyange all the way to Nkabune and those children have made this happen,” said Timothy.

James Munene at the front in the DCP hoodie

He expressed concern about the growing mental health crisis in Meru County, saying that many young people had fallen into depression and substance abuse due to idleness and lack of opportunities. Timothy noted that creating more youth-centered programs such as sports tournaments, mentorship, and vocational training would help address those challenges.

“The essence of this tournament is to make sure that we engage our children and empower them which is one of the agendas in our manifesto. Youth empowerment will go a long way in reducing issues of our youth consuming alcohol, teenage pregnancies, bring physical fitness and mental wellness,” said Timothy.

Timothy also said that Nyaki East’s problems were not beyond solution but had persisted due to leadership gaps and poor planning. He emphasized that the ward needed fresh leadership that listens to its people, understands their struggles, and works with them to find sustainable solutions.

He revealed that If elected in 2027, one of his priorities would be to establish a structured ward management committee composed of nine members drawn from different sectors of Nyaki East. He said that the committee would meet every three months to discuss and plan on issues such as infrastructure, education, and water development describing it as a pilot model to promote inclusive leadership and shared accountability.

Timothy explained that he had already consulted professionals and opinion leaders from the area, including local scholars, to help shape the model. He said their input was valuable in creating a practical framework that would allow residents to be more directly involved in governance.

“I have consulted experts that are within here and I’m happy to see Professor Muriungi is here whom we have sat down together here and together with others and seen that this model can work so that we can consult everyone in Nyaki East in matters leadership,” said Timothy.

He pointed to the success of the youth- planned football tournament as evidence that structured leadership could work at the grassroots level if given support. Timothy noted that if the same spirit of collaboration was applied to development matters, Nyaki East could make significant progress in sectors such as roads, water access, education, and empowerment programs for women and people with disabilities.

In addition, Timothy outlined his long-term vision for improving the local economy through value addition in agriculture which he termed as a major livelihood source for many Nyaki East residents.

“I would also want to speak on matters of value addition because of the agricultural produce our people produce including oranges which are getting wasted in the farm. I told them of the model that we can use which includes making mini industries for packing that juice which can be sold and the factories can employ our children,” said Timothy.

He said that creating mini processing industries would not only prevent farm produce from going to waste but would also open up job opportunities for skilled youth in areas such as plumbing, electrical work, and machinery operation.

The aspirant further noted that Kiamwitari is one of the leading areas in banana farming and that he had already reached out to potential partners willing to help revive a banana processing factory at Kààmbi ya Nyànyuà. He however noted that this would only be possible if local farmers came together to form a banana cooperative that could manage the supply chain and sustain production.

According to Timothy, Nyaki East’s potential is immense, and with the right leadership, it could transform from a community struggling with unemployment and poverty into a model of rural development.
He noted that true leadership does not belong to individuals but to the community, urging residents to support his vision of building a more united and progressive Nyaki East.

“Leadership is a sacrifice and anybody including the little children can make a good leader. We ask you to support us because you are our strength so that we can take Nyaki many steps ahead,” he said.

Locals who attended the event praised Timothy for organizing the football tournament and for focusing on the needs of the youth. They said that the initiative has created a safe space for young people to interact positively and stay away from social vices.

“We thank our incoming MCA James Munene Timothy for this football tournament that has brought the youth together. This is the second tournament, the first one we had it in Giaki; this program is helping remove them from drugs, crime, teenage pregnancies and helping them on matters of mental health,” said Maureen