Raila-Kalonzo alliance alters the political scene in Machakos

A new-found political alliance between Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has changed the shape of politics in Machakos as well as the two neighbouring counties of Makueni and Kitui.

Before the PM and the VP reached a deal that saw the two join forces with Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula to form the Coalition for Reform and Democracy (Cord), the politics of the region was in a state of confusion.

Leading politicians were sending mixed signals to their supporters.

Mrs Charity Ngilu then was courting the Jubilee Alliance of Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto to the chagrin of Mr Musyoka’s supporters.

Mr Musyoka at the time had been shunned by the G-7 alliance, the precursor of Jubilee.

The VP’s camp led by his party chairman David Musila called a press meeting to officially announce that the VP was no longer in the G-7 alliance.

Even as the VP told his supporters that he would go it alone on March 4, 2013, two of his key allies, Education minister Mutula Kilonzo and Kangundo MP Johnston Muthama started talking to ODM and within a couple of weeks the two parties had struck a coalition deal. It was this pact that was to change the political scenario in Machakos as well as the entire Ukambani.

Many aspirants seeking elective positions had already identified their parties. Now this new marriage means that they will have to go bback to the drawing board to agree on how to tackle the elections.

Of interest is the seat of governor which has attracted Wiper’s Dr Alfred Mutua a former government spokesman and Chama Cha Uzalendo’s Wavinya Ndeti.

A former cabinet minister Mutua Katuku and Titus Ndundu, an engineer and ICT expert, are also eyeing the Wiper nomination ticket.

Ms Ndeti’s party is among those in the CORD alliance. There are suggestions that a deal will have to be struck between two aspirants thought to have an edge in the race for governor to strike a deal and have one standing as governor, the other the deputy.

Former deputy director of Intelligence Jimmy Mumina is seeking the seat on the United Democratic Forum ticket while former deputy governor of the Central Bank Thomas Nzioki Kibua is in the Democratic Party.

All have engaged in serious campaigns to date and it will be interesting to see how an arrangement within the Cord will affect their politics.

The big question in the minds of many is whether aspirants who have spent heavily so far in their campaigns will accept a new arrangement to accommodate the Cord vision in tackling the General Election.

If the Cord decides to give Wiper aspirants preference, the resultant fallout may see the region electing some leaders from outside the alliance.

Mrs Ngilu’s decision to back the Jubilee Alliance has also brought some friction in the county. Aspirants who had already identified Mrs Ngilu’s Narc party as their vehicle are in a dilemma and indications on the ground is that if the Cord alliance will create a wave in Ukambani which is expected by many, then it will be suicidal to seek the Narc ticket.

Mr Muthama says Cord will be the alliance to beat in the region. “We know what is good for our people, and where we have taken them is the best for them,” Mr Muthama said.

Athough some see his role in bringing together Cord as giving him a headstart in the race for the senate seat, he is facing a formidable challenger in city lawyer-cum-university lecturer Boniface Kabaka.

If the senate seat was to be determined by the level of one’s education then Mr Kabaka will smile all the way to the upper house. The 44-year-old is currently pursuing his PhD fellowship in Finance at the University of Nairobi. He holds three masters degrees in Law, Business Administration and the Arts.

The senate race was until last week seen as between Mr Muthama and Mr Kabaka until a youthful aspirant, Mr Leonard Mutua Ndambuki, flew in from the US where he had just graduated with a bachelors degree to announce he had joined the race.

And the battle for women’s representative seat is turning out to be a replica of the 2005 elections for district Maendeleo Ya Wanawake seat.

The seat has attracted two traditional rivals in Machakos politics, Dr Susan Mbinya Musyoka and Mrs Mary Mbiu Mutinga. Mrs Mutinga defeated Dr Musyoka to become the Machakos district Maendeleo Ya Wanawake chairperson then.

Machakos County is the headquarters of Ukambani political and socio-economic developments but big brother has for decades been sleeping on its laurels. Recent changes within its landscape has woken it up from slumber and today the count is in a rush to build its own glory.

Young and fresh entrepreneurs led by the late business mogul Peter Mulei offsprings is helping to give the headquarters a new coat of life.

Then there is the Konza ICT Park, a flagship Vision 2030 project that falls on its borders with Makueni County that is expected to stimulate growth once completed.

The Director of Administration and Coordinator of Business Outsourcing, Mr Henry Mung’asia and the Planning ministry’s acting chief economist, Mr Paul Macharia said recently that all ground has been laid to jump start the project whose climax will be the ground breaking ceremony to be performed by President Kibaki.

Mr Mung’asia said the ministry of water had already sunk one of the proposed 10 boreholes that will provide water for the initial construction on the 5,000-acre parcel of land.

He said the project would create employment for the youth as its feasibility study had shown that Kenya could leverage on IT enabled BPO, software development and assembly of IT hardware. Leaders in the two counties have backed the project and how fast it can be implemented will be one of the major issues in the campaigns.

Farming is the predominant occupation of the locals in this arid and semi-arid region.

Despite unreliable rainfall, crop and animal husbandry has been possible through the intervention of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute whose station at Katumani in Machakos and Kiboko in Kibwezi has come up with fast maturing crops that ensure good returns despite poor rains.

Despite being blessed with abundant resources the high level of poverty in the county especially among the rural folk is something that the new administration will have to address after the 2013 polls.

Inadequate water and poor roads are some of the big problems that have affected the growth of Machakos county.
Mr Ndundu says the key to ending the problems is in tapping the waters of the Athi and Tana rivers.

He says massive water tanks can be built on top of Mt Kilimambogo, pumping water from River Athi and releasing it down via gravity to farms in the entire county and beyond. The same can be done with Kithyoko Hill using water from Masinga Dam.

This water can then be easily distributed to the entire population in Masinga and Yatta constituencies. Putting water on top of Kilima Mbogo would ensure plenty of water for farming will be available for Kangundo, Mwala and Kathiani constituencies.

These are issues that have continued to come up in each and every election year. The creation of new administrative and political set-ups in the counties now remains the people’s only hope in realising the socio-economic growth that has evaded them nearly 50 years since independence.

Machakos County produces the stones and sand that builds Nairobi and its environs. But this richness has not helped in getting the people out of poverty.

“It is only the middlemen who continue to reap from this resource leaving locals scrambling for the hand-outs”, says Mr Ndundu.

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Aspirants for governor

Only one woman so far in male-dominated race

Petty Wavinya Ndeti, CCU

The first time MP representing Kathiani is so far the only woman in the former Eastern Province running for governorship.

Ms Ndeti, 44, is a London-trained IT expert and was among the first women to introduce ICT in Kenya.

Her plan, she says, is to find a lasting solution to the water problems. She will also fight poverty through small enterprises.

Titus Ndundu, WDM

The ICT consultant holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nairobi.

The former army officer says his priority is to end the hunger that afflicts the people of Machakos.

He says he will start by enlarging the Yatta Canal which supplies water to Yatta Constituency.

He also plans to open more clinics, dispensaries and hospitals.

Dr Alfred Mutua, WDM

Dr Mutua is making his political debut after resigning as the first Government Spokesman.

He says: “The people of Machakos have requested me to be their first Governor because they want someone who is young, corruption-free, energetic, visionary and with the ability to transform the county into an economic and social power house.”

Mr Mutua Katuku, WDM

He is a former minister for Water and Irrigation and MP for Mwala.

Mr Katuku sees himself as the most politically experienced of the all the aspirants.

He says there is a lot to be done in the socio-economic areas of the county and will ensure that he fully engages the people in tackling real issues affecting them.

Mr Jimmy Mumina, UDF

He is a former deputy director of intelligence and is making his debut in elective politics.

During the 2007 elections, he served in the think of VP Kalonzo Musyoka.

Mr Mumina, who is a former country economist with the UNDP, says: “Lack of leadership is the main obstacle in the fight against poverty.” He wants rain water tapped.

Dr Thomas Nzioki Kibua

He is a former Deputy Governor of CBK. Dr Kibua has wide experience in development and macro-economic management issues.

The 44-year-old has served as a director and senior economist with the African Development and Economic Consultant limited as well as chairman of the Egerton University council among others.

Dr Mutule Kilonzo

He is no stranger to Machakos county politics having first unsuccessfully run for parliamentary seat in past elections.

He was the lead consultant of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Transport Corridor.

“With my wealth of experience, I am best suited to be the governor,” he says.

His top agenda will be job creation and the exploitation of natural resources.

Aspirants for senate

Experience and youth in contest of three

Mr Johnson Muthama

Among the three contestants for the senate seat, Mr Muthama, 59, is the longest serving politician in the region.

He was active in the 1980s and 1990s when he played a pivotal role in local politics during the Kanu era.

For many years he was the Machakos Kanu branch boss, deputising Ukambani power broker Mulu Mutisya. At the time, Mr Muthama played the role of kingmaker and used his wealth to finance politicians.

Years later, Mr Muthama who is a first time MP having been elected to Parliament in 2007, is still a force to reckon with in the region’s politics.

“Having been in the field for long I know what every part of Machakos County wants. I tried it successfully while serving as an MP in Kangundo; I know that with my leadership, Machakos County will reap abundantly in terms of political and socio-economic development,” Mr Muthama says.

Boniface Mutinda Kabaka, NARC

Mr Kabaka, 44, who is currently pursuing his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Finance at the University of Nairobi holds Masters degrees in Law, Business Administration and the Arts.

In 2007, he unsuccessfully contested the Masinga parliamentary seat.

He has been among the architects of the Machakos County forum whose main objective is to help the region exploit its resources.

He says poor leadership is to blame for the problems bedeviling the county, adding that infrastructure, education, water and income generating projects among the youth will be some of the issues he will help provide solutions to if the lives of the local people are to improve.

Mr Leornard Mutua Ndambuki

Mr Ndambuki flew in from the United States after completing his degree course in Engineering last week in time to beat the deadline set for voter registration.

At 34, Mr Ndambuki is the youngest aspirant in the field.

Born to a single parent, he lost his mother at the age of six and was brought up by a grandmother.

Mr Ndambuki a graduate of Wayne State University and says water supply projects, job creation, education, road repairs, security, health insurance and reforms for women rights are some of the issues he will give top priority if elected.

“Opportunity, change, new ideas and responsibility will be my clarion call,” he says.

Aspirants for women’s representative seat

Water, health and poverty to define race

Dr Susan Musyoka

Dr Musyoka is a University of Nairobi trained medical doctor.

She is no stranger to the county politics as this will not be her first time to contest a political seat.

She unsuccessfully contested the Machakos parliamentary seat in 2007.

Apart from her private job in the town where she operates a medical centre, she has served the public in different capacities, among them Kenya Power and Lighting board, the Machakos Water Company and Kenya Technical Teachers College.

She is also former president of the Rotary Club of Machakos.

Dr Musyoka says her agenda is to help provide a visionary, honest, transparent and accountable leadership in the county, one of the poorer ones in Kenya.

Mrs Mary Mbiu Mutinga

Mrs Mutinga is one of the most visible aspirants in the county politics. This has mainly been attributed to her role on issues affecting women and children which she has done since 1986.

She is the Machakos County Maendeleo ya Wanawake chairperson.

She comes from a prominent family in the county and her husband Mr Peter Mutinga is a well known associate of Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and his Wiper Democratic Movement Party.The couple have four children.

She has been involved in charity work and her family is currently taking care of many orphans in schools and colleges. She has been an official of the Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK), Machakos chapter.

Ms Joyce Amene Kasimbi

Ms Kasimbi is the latest entrant to the Machakos County Women representative race.

She is a business woman who for years has participated in the empowerment of women.

Ms Kasimbi who launched her campaign about a month ago, hopes to work in tandem with the constituents to fight poverty and to improve the quality of life.

She says she is guided by a strategic plan that will ensure that water is available to all.

She also has plans for the elderly, the sick as well as ensuring that women have access to funds and capital to start their own businesses.

Water supply in the largely arid county is also top on her agenda.