Kiambu Governor Kabogo may have shot himself in the foot

On September 17, 2015 during a ceremony presided over by Deputy President William Ruto in Gatundu South to mark Muhoho High School's golden jubilee, Kiambu Governor William Kabogo, with a sense of pride said, “I may not know who will be the governor of Kiambu in 2017, but I know who will not.”

The thinly veiled statement was directed to his bitter rival, Ferdinand Waititu, who was in attendance, and who had, with the backing of MPs and ward representatives, stepped up his bid to oust the Kiambu governor.

The flamboyant politician “was sure” that Mr Waititu would never be the Kiambu governor no matter what, and even in his subsequent functions, Mr Kabogo said the MP would not be on the ballot.

Perhaps in an attempt to bar the Kabete MP from contesting, the governor unsuccessfully challenged Mr Waititu’s academic qualifications.

HUMILIATING DEFEAT

But one-and-a-half years later, his remarks have come to haunt him after he received a humiliating defeat in the Jubilee Party primaries from the same man he has always treated as a no brainer.

On Tuesday evening, a subdued Mr Kabogo convened a press conference at his secretariat in Nairobi’s Garden Estate where he conceded defeat, even before the final results were announced, and wished Mr waititu well, saying he “would most probably be the next Kiambu governor”.

But it is Governor Kabogo’s perceived pride, arrogance, incompetence and hard-headedness and a successful propaganda campaign by his opponents that is said to have cost him the Jubilee ticket, which pundits opine is equal to winning the main election.

Analysts were caught by a surprise by the outcome of the primaries in which Mr Waititu was voted overwhelmingly even in Governor Kabogo’s perceived strongholds, a situation that was unexpected.

Notably, at St George’s Primary School in Ruiru, which is the governor’s polling centre, Mr Kabogo got 469 votes against Mr Waititu’s 870 votes.

NOMINATIONS SHAM

However, the governor dismissed the nominations as a sham, saying that he had even petitioned the party over alleged irregularities ahead of the poll, but despite assurances from the party leadership, his grievances were ignored.

The governor, who recently sparked outrage after he saying that the deputy president should not expect automatic support from central Kenya in 2022, Tuesday claimed that there were powerful people who do not want him remain as the Kiambu governor. He, however, did not mention names.

"FOUL MOUTH"

While majority believe that he might have a fair development track record that would have earned him a re-election, it is his perceived "foul mouth" and pride that many say angered the voters who made ousting him their main agenda – and they did it.

Two week to the primaries, both Kabogo and Waititu were seen to be in a tight race, with pundits putting them almost at par.

But this turned against him after his opponent, in his campaigns, successfully branded him and some of his handlers as a proud, arrogant and hard-headed people who had abused power and needed to be sent home.

“He and his people are too proud, arrogant and have always run the county as a private entity. That is unacceptable,” said Mr Waititu, who thanked the electorate for giving him the Jubilee ticket.

More damaging propaganda was widely spread on social media and even turned to campaign agenda in which the governor was accused of disparaging women.

Governor Kabogo was forced to call a press conference over the weekend to deny damaging allegations circulating on social media alleging that he made remarks to disparage women.