Leader in limbo over 2013 pre-election deals

Migori Senator Wilfred Machage at a past event. Senator Machage says harmony and equity in the cosmopolitan Migori County will be maintained only through negotiated democracy. FILE PHOTO | NJUGI NGUGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Already, a number of top politicians have gone on record demanding that the so-called “negotiated democracy” be done away with for voters to have a free choice.
  • Suna East MP Junet Mohammed says a solution must be found to ensure that all communities are represented in leadership positions at the county level.
  • According to Pwani University lecturer Gabriel Katana, the numerical strength of various communities should not be used to determine who gets what seat.

Pre-election agreements that saw various elective positions shared out between communities and constituencies at county level during the last General Election are drawing mixed reactions ahead of 2017.

In a number of counties, opinion is divided among politicians and voters alike on whether to maintain for five more years or abandon the agreements that influenced voting patterns in the 2013 election.

Already, a number of top politicians have gone on record demanding that the so-called “negotiated democracy” be done away with for voters to have a free choice.

But some sitting governors, senators and women’s representatives, especially from minority communities in various counties, feel the agreements should be respected to accommodate diverse interests.

In some counties, the “allocation” of seats — which forces some candidates to step down — cascades down to the positions of Speaker and Majority or Minority Leader in the County Assembly.

Senator Wilfred Machage says harmony and equity in the cosmopolitan Migori County will be maintained only through such deals to protect the interests of smaller communities.

“The constitution is clear on representation — that all communities must be represented in the leadership positions and resources allocated to them equitably,” Dr Machage told the Sunday Nation, adding that minority communities will feel marginalised if they are not “allocated leadership positions”.

Dr Machage, from the minority Kuria community, is a beneficiary of the compromise with the dominant Luo community that took the governor’s position.

In the last elections, Cord leader Raila Odinga prevailed upon candidates from the Luo community to step down.

Additionally, Woman Representative Dennitah Ghati also benefited from the position reserved for a Kuria candidate.

Governor Okoth Obado’s deputy Mahanga Mwita is also from Kuria.  

BATTLE IT OUT

But Ms Anne Omodho Anyanga, the only woman in Nyanza region to declare interest in the governor’s seat, says such compromises should be discouraged.

“People ought to be allowed to exercise their right to elect leaders of their choice. We should desist from the culture of reserving seats for various interest groups because it goes against the tenets of democracy,” she said.

Suna East MP Junet Mohammed says a solution must be found to ensure that all communities are represented in leadership positions at the county level.

Even though he regretted that Jubilee still got a lot of votes in Kuria despite the compromises on sharing of seats meant to give Cord an upper hand, it was important to have an inclusive process.

In Busia County, top politicians are sharply divided over a pre-2013 power sharing agreement that saw the governor’s seat reserved for the Teso community and three other key seats — senator, woman representative and deputy governor — given to the majority Luhya community. 

Funyula MP Paul Otuoma, who wants to challenge Governor Sospeter Ojaamong next year, says voters should be allowed to pick the best candidate without considering ethnicity.

“Sometimes these agreements only work when you are dealing with honest people. Some people are just dishonest by nature and can never keep their part of the bargain. I’ll be very reluctant to embrace an agreement that denies people a chance to elect a person of their choice by reserving particular seats for particular communities or interest groups,” he says.

Governor Ojaamong, however, says there was never any written agreement in 2013 but “negotiated democracy” is the only way to take care of various interests.

Nambale politician Geoffrey Mulanya, who unsuccessfully ran on an ODM ticket in Nambale, shares Dr Otuoma’s views.

“Let the people decide. We end up losing credible leaders by restricting some seats to particular communities or interest groups,” he says.

In Kakamega County, former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo says Kenyans should “elect people based on their competencies and integrity levels; not on this nonsense called negotiated democracy”.

“The moment we elect people on the basis of their tribes or clans, we devolve tribalism, corruption and all the bad manners perfected at the national level,” he says.

Mr Jirongo, who unsuccessfully contested the Kakamega senatorial seat in the last General Election but lost to Dr Boni Khalwale, is opposed to the sharing arrangement.

RETAIN NEGOTIATIONS

In 2013, the gubernatorial seat was reserved for communities from the former Butere/Mumias district while the deputy governor’s seat went to communities from Malava, Likuyani, Lugari and Navakholo constituencies.

The senatorial seat went to communities referred to as the Abakakamega comprising Idakho and Isukha from Ikolomani and Shinyalu constituencies.

The Wanga, Marama and Kisa supported Governor Wycliffe Oparanya for the gubernatorial seat on an ODM ticket while his deputy, Prof Philip Kutima, came from Kabras in Malava constituency.

Dr Khalwale has already indicated he will oppose Mr Oparanya come 2017, in essence disregarding the so-called negotiated democracy.

Mr Oparanya, on his part, wants the agreement respected.

In Kwale, negotiated democracy was applied during the 2013 General Election where Salim Mvurya, a Duruma, was elected the first Governor while Boy Juma Boy, a Digo, became the Senator and Ms Zainab Chidzuga (from the Kamba community although married to a Digo), was elected Woman Representative.

Pwani University lecturer Rocha Chimera argues that the three communities have no choice but to go for a similar arrangement to take care of various interests.

“The Digo versus Duruma factor is strong in Kwale politics. The Kambas have always provided the swing vote,” he says, adding that in the last election, candidates were conscious of this in the choice of running mates.

The Kwale County ODM Secretary-General Nicholas Zani shares similar sentiments, saying that informal agreements among leaders of the three communities in the area determine the sharing of key seats.

“The governor and senator seats must be negotiated; but not so much that of woman representative”, he says.

In nearby Kilifi, indications are that the voting pattern will replicate the 2013 election, delicately negotiated by the seven Mijikenda sub-tribes.

In 2013, the governor’s seat was won by Amason Kingi from the majority Giriama whose deputy Kenneth Kamto is from the minority Rabai tribe.

The senate seat was won by Stewart Madzayo from the Chonyi. Woman Representative Asha Jumwa is also from the Giriama community.

Mr Madzayo ignited the debate on shared democracy recently when he declared that the Chonyi should stop going for every post because they might end up as losers.

According to Pwani University lecturer Gabriel Katana, the numerical strength of various communities should not be used to determine who gets what seat.

Coast Parliamentary Group chairman and Kaloleni MP Gunga Mwinga also agrees that politics of numbers should not be used to define the next Kilifi leadership.

He says that all the seven sub-counties must be included in a well and elaborate consultative programme so that the interests of every community are catered for.

“I can foresee a problem where some communities want to retain positions they got in 2013 as a result of boardroom agreements,” he says. 

MINORITY/MAJORITY WARS
But some aspirants eyeing different elective positions in Taita Taveta County have ruled out the principle of shared democracy among the four sub-tribes of Taveta, Wadawida, Saghalla and Kasighau.

This is after what happened in 2013 when the county decided to share the elective seats that saw John Mruttu (Taveta) ascend to the governorship, Dan Mwazo (Kasighau) take the senatorial post and Joyce Lay (Dawida) the woman representative post.

But Mr Mwakazi Mtongolo, who lost to ODM’s Mr Mwazo and has since decamped from Wiper Democratic Movement to the Jubilee Coalition, thinks voters should elect effective leaders based on their individual qualities.

He says the 2013 deal is unworkable and should be discarded.

His sentiments are shared by gubernatorial loser Elijah Mwandoe who says “selective” democracy can only work if the shared leadership picks the “best of the best” to serve the electorate.

Wundanyi MP Thomas Mwadeghu, who has publicly declared he will face off with Mr Mruttu, says the dictates of democracy put every elective position open for those interested.

In Meru, Senator Kiraitu Murungi, who wants to be governor, appears to be going against an agreement reached prior to the 2013 polls for his Imenti region to produce a senator and the governor to come from Nyambene region.

As a result Mr Murungi, who wants to dislodge Governor Peter Munya, has developed his own line-up with a running-mate from Nyambene.

Mr Murungi is backing Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi from Nyambene to be Meru’s next senator and woman representative Florence Kajuju to retain her seat.

Nairobi-based lawyer Mugambi Imanyara, who is scheming to replace Mr Murungi as Meru senator, says his interest is based on an agreement by county leaders before the 2013 elections.

“There was an agreement between the Meru people that the senatorial seat should remain with the Imenti for 10 years and the governor’s seat should stay with the Nyambene for a similar period. But, apparently, the leaders appear to be retracting their promise and that has created animosity among the sub-tribes,” Mr Imanyara says.

WORKING FORMULA

Tigania West MP David Karithi says the Nyambene feel that the Imenti want to take the seat preserved for them prematurely.

“It is not fair for leaders to become greedy and start reneging on agreements they made with the people who elected them,” he says.

The entry of Embu Council of Elders chairman Andrew Ireri in the gubernatorial race is threatening to upset the 2013 power sharing arrangement.

The populous Embu were “allocated” the governor’s seat, while the minority Mbeere bagged the senatorial seat, the deputy governor’s seat and that of county woman representative.

In Homa Bay, the majority Luo community and the minority Suba struck a pre-election deal to share seats. Mr Otieno Kajwang won the senate seat reserved for Suba.

Homa Bay town and Rangwe got the post of woman representative through Ms Gladys Wanga while Mr Cyprian Awiti from Rachuonyo was elected governor, with Mr Hamilton Orata from Ndhiwa as his deputy. The post of Speaker went to lawyer Samwel Ochilo from Kasipul.

Reports by Moses Odhiambo, Benson Amadala, Maurice Kaluoch, Linet Wafula, Nelcon Odhiambo, Lucas Barasa, Charles Wanyoro, Ken Bett, Vivian Jebet, Daniel Nyassy, Samuel Kalume and Mwakera Mwajefa.