Nduku Kilonzo joins race for senate seat
What you need to know:
- Family tussle in the offing as former senator’s daughter expected to vie on Wiper ticket
The widow of former Makueni senator Mutula Kilonzo has joined the race to succeed her husband.
Mrs Nduku Kilonzo’s move is likely to lead to a family tussle as the former senator’s daughter, Ms Kethi Kilonzo, is also said to be interested in the seat.
Asked whether she would contest, Mrs Kilonzo said: “Yes, I will contest.”
However, she did not say the party sponsoring her bid.
That Mrs Kilonzo was with Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu fuelled rumours that she could be contesting on the Narc ticket. Mrs Ngilu is associated with the party.
She spoke on Sunday in Machakos after attending Mass at the Machakos Catholic Church where President Kenyatta was in attendance.
Four other political parties — Coalition for Democracy (Cord), the Jubilee Coalition, the Labour Party of Kenya and Kanu — have entered candidates for the July 22 by-election.
They will soon present their nomination papers to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. The seat fell vacant after the death of Mr Kilonzo who was elected in the March 4 General Election.
The Wiper Democratic Movement, which is in Cord, is fronting Mr Kilonzo’s daughter, Kethi, according to MPs Daniel Maanzo (Makueni) and Richard Makenga (Kaiti).
Mr Maanzo and Mr Makenga told mourners at the funeral of Kilungu/Ilima ward representative Joel Mutinda Kioko on Saturday that Wiper had settled on Ms Kilonzo and had forwarded her name to the IEBC.
Jubilee has settled on former Kibwezi MP Philip Kaloki. Former Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo, who is the new Narc leader, said the Jubilee flag bearer was a Narc member.
Novelist David Maillu will be Kanu’s candidate, while US-trained nurse Jane Kitundu, who lost the County Women representative seat in March, will run on the LPK ticket.
