Women set to land two seats in House

Kiambu County is almost certain to have two women MPs, like in 2013, with the entry of newcomer into national politics in Gatundu North.

Former radio broadcaster Wanjiku Kibe triumphed in the Jubilee Party primaries after trouncing male opponents to capture the ticket.

Ms Kibe - who cut her teeth as a vernacular presenter at Kameme FM - was nominated to the County Assembly by Jubilee in the last elections and successfully used that experience as her stepping stone to a constituency seat.

WINNERS IN PRIMARIES

And given that the county is basically a Jubilee stronghold, the soft-spoken MCA could be headed to making history as the first woman MP for Gatundu North, President Kenyatta’s home ground.

It will be a welcome win as it will at least beef up to two the number of women in the county headed to the National Assembly.

The other woman MP is Ms Alice N’gan’ga of Thika Town who emerged winner in a bruising battle with male rivals to clinch the ticket for a return to the National Assembly where she distinguished herself as a debater.

NJENGA LOSES
Although she put on a brave and deserving fight, Ms Kibe surprised both friend and foe after weathering a political hurricane that swept away politicians perceived to be allies of Governor William Kabogo, who lost to Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu in the JP primaries.

The governor is running on the independent party ticket.

Ms Kibe garnered 10,169 votes to beat incumbent Kigo Njenga who got 9,589 votes.

The MP has been grappling with allegations of misappropriation of the Constituency Development Fund kitty following a damning report by the Auditor General.

Others whom the mother of two sent home included a former MP Clement Waibara who got 9,344 votes and former Kiambu chief officer in charge of public administration, Dominic Gicheru, who was a distant forth.

BRUISING DUEL
Mr Kigo will be defending his seat as an independent candidate, but Ms Kibe - who has had to endure all manner of propaganda, says she is unmoved and is confident of a win.

She is the only MCA in the county to successfully scale the political ladder during the primaries that saw 82 of her colleagues at the assembly rejected by voters.

The 44-year-old nominee appears to have won residents’ hearts with her manifesto, which those interviewed say addresses their concerns.

In the neighbouring Thika Town constituency, the abrasive 41-year-old Ms N’gan’ga survived a bruising duel staged by businessmen Patrick Wainaina, popularly known as Jungle, derived from his Thika-based macadamia processing plant and Mr Moris Mburu who was trying his luck for a second time.

KURIA'S OPPONENT
Ms Ng’an’ga, a fierce critic of Mr Kabogo, garnered 15,880 votes against Mr Wainaina’s 14,731 to clinch the Jubilee Party ticket for the seat.

However, the businessman cried foul, saying he was rigged out, and is back in the race as an independent.

But Ms Ng'an’ga says she is not moved by his re-entry and is ready to face him and was sure of a decisive win.

She says her popularity notwithstanding, her development record speaks for her and the fact that she is in the right party.

In Gatundu South, Ms Joyce Ngugi, wife of MP Jossy Ngugi who died in 2014 after serving for only a few months after election, failed in her bid to uproot incumbent Moses Kuria for the second time.

WOMEN LEADERSHIP
At the County Assembly, despite the race attracting a huge number of women, only two women won the Jubilee Party ticket, compared to five in the 2013 elections.

The assembly’s minority leader Cecilia Wamaitha from Gatuanyaga Ward who in 2013 weathered The National Alliance (TNA) wave to be elected on a Farmers’ Party ticket, affirmed her popularity by making a comeback.

Ms Jackeline Nungari, a nominated MCA, pulled a surprise after she successfully kicked out Deputy Speaker Anthony Macharia, a seasoned politician who has represented the Bibirioni ward in Limuru for years.

Ms Nungari, who was seeking an elective post for the first time, says women seeking leadership in politics need to be embraced, instead of being intimidated and hurdles thrown their way.

“Come out in large numbers and support women who have a vision ,” she urged the voters.