Naivasha unruffled as politics gathers pace

Naivasha is experiencing an uncharacteristic political lull with just a few months to party primaries and the General Election later in August.

Its economic importance notwithstanding, Naivasha constituency is a well-known “political hotbed” with politicians engaging in bruising campaigns for various seats every election year.

In the past, those vying for political seats would by now be aggressively crisscrossing the vast constituency in a vote hunt as they seek to impress voters, unlike now when a majority of the contestants have resorted to strategic night meetings in hotels.

With the high number of registered voters as an obvious enticement for the Jubilee stronghold, many would have expected aspirants for the top county seats to be rolling out elaborate campaigns.

Analysts attribute the lull to political party intrigues, specifically within Jubilee, as candidates wait for the primaries.

Many contestants are also monitoring their opponents’ strategies before hitting the ground.

Gubernatorial contestants Lee Kinyanjui and John Mututho have held planning meetings and met with their supporters, but are yet to embark on full blown campaigns.

The two are seasoned politicians and formidable opponents for the incumbent, Mr Kinuthia Mbugua.

The three have kept their moves under wraps, perhaps biding their time before they opening the campaign war chests.

They are expected, at some point, to camp in Naivasha, due to the high number of potential votes compared to other constituencies in Nakuru County, if they hope to dethrone Mr Mbugua, who is also exuding confidence of winning a second term.

KIHARA'S COMEBACK
Mr Mbugua appears to have preferred to attend development meetings and refused to be drawn into ‘the campaign mode’, letting his handlers drop a hint on his pending re-election push.  

Those seeking the senatorial seat have also held closed door campaigns, with Nakuru County Speaker Susan Kihika featuring prominently on the ground and in the social media.

Even though she started on a good stead and appears to be among the frontrunners, the entry of seasoned politicians — former Molo MP Njenga Mungai and former Subukia lawmaker Koigi wa Wamwere is set to upset the equation.

With a gift of the gab, the former outspoken Molo legislator keeps his audiences hanging to every word he utters.

Mr Wamwere is also easy with words but it remains to be seen how he plays his political cards.

With Senator James Mungai having opted to run for the gubernatorial seat, the new entrants are expected to do bruising battles in a race to replace him in the Senate.

With all of them known to be vocal, the winner is expected to be active in the Senate.

For the Naivasha parliamentary seat, it is battle royale as aspirants fight to unseat incumbent John Kihagi who will also be defending his seat.

Among those who have declared interest is former Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara, who is making a comeback, barely three years after she called it quits.

Her entry is set to change the political landscape of the highly competitive constituency.

After years of a bruising battle with the former MP John Mututho, the former assistant minister opted to go for the senatorial seat in 2013 but fared dismally, a move that prompted her to opt out.

She blamed it on the then TNA euphoria.

While throwing in the towel in March 2013, Mrs Kihara said she had expected to do well in the senatorial race but could not withstand the TNA euphoria in the county.

While announcing her comeback, she disclosed that she “bowed to pressure from her political backers”.    

CROWDED FIELD

The entry of the former lawmaker has definitely upset the form book with all those eyeing the Naivasha seat forced to rethink their strategy.

Though playing her cards close to her chest, the former MP will be taking her chances in what is viewed to be a crowded field that has so far attracted more than 10 candidates, with several others expected to join the fray.

As she positions herself, Mrs Kihara is expected to face off with Mr Kihagi and MCA Samuel Waithuki who hails in the same locality as the former MP.

Mr Waithuki has clinched the civic seat twice in a row but might find the parliamentary seat a different ball game altogether.

A church leader, he has retreated to the grassroots as he attempts to convince the electorate why they should take him to Parliament.

Others eyeing the seat are the youthful Anthony Rebo Ngure, popularly known as ARN — initials he uses as a brand name for his security company.

Mr Ngure has organised several successful medical camps that have somehow tilted the political equation as he prepares to do battle with more seasoned rivals.  

He has preferred to campaign in rural areas as he seeks to have numbers that will see him clinch the Jubilee Party ticket during the primaries.

Perennial contender Ndegwa Nguthiru is also expected to be in the race, making it an interesting contest and a nervy affair come nominations day.

He is popular across the political divide but has stumbled on several occasions at the final hurdle.

Journalist Francis Mungai Muchiri is also in the race and has been traversing the constituency hunting for votes.

He is a man of few words but has remained hopeful.

Businessman James Nathan Kiiru is also in the parliamentary seat race.

Mr Kihagi has promised to trounce his opponents and has remained confident of making it back to the National Assembly.

He will be pinning his hopes on his development record and support across the cosmopolitan constituency.