From Mwakilishi:

Kenyan-born lawyer Jeff Matemu is running for the US congress in the state of North Carolina. Matemu is contesting the 2nd congressional district seat in North Carolina on a Libertarian Party ticket.

Matemu, who runs a law firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina, recently told Mwakilishi.com that he chose to run as a Libertarian in order to better serve the people of his congressional district by avoiding party labels that he says have controlled politicians’ decisions.

Matemu says if elected to Congress, he will fight for revitalization of infrastructure including roads, bridges, and waterways. He also plans to fight for affordable college education through the modernization of the Pell Grant program. He will also advocate for the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit which subsidizes wages for low income earners, as well as for reforms in the criminal justice system.

Another issue that is dear to his heart and that he plans to advocate for in Congress is immigration reform including immigrants rights, saying: “as a Libertarian, I support the rights of all the people all the time. Immigrants are people too and must be protected from unfair and discriminatory laws,” Matemu says.

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From Daily Nation:

In a rare show of unity, Kenyans living in Raleigh, North Carolina, turned up in impressive numbers Sunday afternoon to show support for their compatriot Jeff Matemu as he launched his campaign for House representative for 2nd District of North Carolina.

More than 300 Kenyans living in Wake County, North Carolina, turned up in a park to witness Mr Matemu, an attorney, kick off the bid that may take him to Congress.

Mr Matemu, a Kenyan-born immigration lawyer based in North Carolina with offices in New York City and Raleigh, North Carolina, surprised many early this year when he announced his intentions to run for Congress on the little-known Libertarian Party.

Most people in the US belong to either the Democratic or Republican party but with recent gridlock, where legislation on major issues rarely takes place due to party loyalty, many people— especially Independents— are giving fringe parties such as Libertarian another look.

…

Addressing the crowd, Mr Matemu said he threw his hat in the ring because he wants to bring the change that the people deserve.

“I may look different, I may sound different from others that have stood on this podium before but I’m a full-blooded American patriot and I’m here to do my duty,” he said.

Mr Matemu said his work with immigrants over the years had convinced him that they play a critical role in making America not only prosperous but also a beacon of hope for the world.

“Immigrants have not come to America to rely on welfare or live off government programmes. Immigrants are hard-working people who contribute immensely to the greatness of this nation,” he said.

Mr Matemu said even though the elections are still way up in November, he wanted to start early to cover enough ground given that he lacks name recognition.

He urged his supporters to register to vote and for those who can’t vote, contribute cash to his campaign or register to volunteer.

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Some photos from the event:

The entire community enjoyed the event. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/qgrOP8vAT8 — Jeff Matemu For NC Second Congressional 2018 (@JeffNc2) April 30, 2018

Jeff Matemu can be found on Twitter and at jeffmatemu.org.