Alfred Mutua shows mettle to wrestle Kalonzo Musyoka for political supremacy

In a gambit against the Opposition if not to test the political waters in Ukambani, Governor Alfred Mutua hosted five MPs at a rally in Athi River on Monday.

The MPs mandated him  to silence his detractors by uniting leaders from the region and lead them to prosperity.

The event may not have measured up to the buzz it had created — only one MP from Machakos, Mwala’s Vincent Musyoka, was present — but it was notable that the governor could marshal some troops from Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka’s bastion of Kitui.

These were Rachel Nyamai (Kitui South), John Munuve Mati (Mwingi North), Joe Mutambo (Mwingi Central) and former Kibwezi MP Kalembe Ndile. Kilome’s Regina Ndambuki (Makueni) was also present. Their message? Time had come for Ukambani leaders to develop their region.

Governor Mutua has not made secret his desire to work with the Jubilee Government and has regularly hosted President Uhuru Kenyatta in Machakos, to the chagrin of Wiper leaders and their bigger special-purpose political vehicle, Cord.

ALTER CONFIGURATION

In May, the President opened a refurbished Machakos Level Five Hospital at the governor’s invitation. Significantly, Machakos County had taken in medical equipment from the National Government that many governors, especially from the Opposition, had shunned.

The President’s visit happened when all indications were that suspended Lands Secretary Charity Ngilu would decamp from Jubilee, most likely for Cord, although the possibility of her going solo cannot be ruled out. Hence, Dr Mutua was probably telling the Opposition that he hadn’t run out of options.

Ngilu’s re-entry into politics will, of course, alter the Ukambani political configuration, with the possibility of a second or third credible force revolving around her.

And, considering the enmity between the governor and Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama, a party heavyweight in his own right, the governor’s membership of Wiper stands on quicksand, a situation that Jubilee will exploit to its full advantage.

DEVELOPMENT RECORD

The flipside, of course, is that Dr Mutua has positioned himself as a force in Ukambani politics.

Aware of his value to Jubilee, which is determined to create a national image (as evident in its forays into Luhya territory and the appointment of Eugene Wamalwa to the Cabinet) with a view to netting a bigger catch for the 2017 polls, the governor has been strengthening his political currency, the Monday rally falling into the game plan.

Also going for him and his ultimate camp of choice is the youthful leader’s enviable development record.

Even critics who see nothing but showmanship in his projects are considerably challenged when beneficiaries talk of a pre-Mutua “development vacuum”, not to mention an Infotrak survey that recently shored up his fortunes by ranking him the best performing governor.

A wily politician, Dr Mutua was a fortnight ago seeing off President Barack Obama. How he pulled that one off, considering that during his government spokesman days he contemptuously called the future US President a “junior senator whose views on Kenya were of little consequence”, attests to his closeness to the powers that be. Not every politician was accorded the privilege.

On Monday, the Mwala MP was all praises for the governor. “Our governor is a symbol of development for the whole country. We need to come together as Kamba leaders and seek his views on how to promote development,” he said.

Indeed, the host promised to convene a meeting of all leaders from Ukambani to chart the region’s political direction. But more telling was the Mwala MP’s assertion that Dr Mutua was ripe to lead the region, when he told him: “I will not lie to you; the writing is on the wall. Time is ripe for you to lead the region.”

The lawmaker’s sentiments were echoed by other MPs. They said some people had been in leadership for more than 20 years but had not helped the region to develop.

More scurrilous was former Kibwezi MP Kalembe Ndile, whose criticism of Cord and Wiper leadership was at the least, a below-the-belt punch.

Later, Governor Mutua said, on his Facebook page, that the five MPs were just a section of leaders who wanted change in the region.

“These leaders are among many others who have resolved to work together and embrace the Maendeleo Chap Chap philosophy to hasten development in our region,” he posted.

Additional reporting, Stephen Muthini