Alfred Mutua, Wavinya Ndeti hit campaign trail despite appeal

The nullification of the election of Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua by the Court of Appeal last week has raised political temperatures as prospects of a repeat poll linger.

Even before the Supreme Court decides on Dr Mutua’s appeal, the battle lines are already drawn, and the county is engulfed in a campaign mood with both the governor and his long time political nemesis Wavinya Ndeti hitting the ground running.

Even though Dr Mutua is hoping for a favourable ruling at the Supreme Court, he and Ms Ndeti are leaving nothing to chance as they prepare for any eventuality. The two have been the main candidates for the gubernatorial seat since 2013.

Ms Ndeti, a former MP for Kathiani who has so far successfully petitioned Dr Mutua’s re-election in courts, sees the nullification as her best chance to prove that her victory was stolen.

Since last week, the duo has been addressing public meetings around the county telling their supporters to brace themselves for another contest.

THREE-JUDGE COURT

If the highest court upholds the decision of the three-judge Court of Appeal bench, this will raise the political stakes in the ensuing by-election for both camps because Dr Mutua has been a thorn in the flesh of Wiper – the dominant party in the region.

Wiper Party, led by former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and which sponsored Ms Ndeti in the last elections, will have another chance to correct the mistakes that cost it the coveted seat and hopefully reassert its political influence in the region.

For Dr Mutua, the political circumstances that propelled him to office in 2013 seem to have gone full circle as he faces the same opponent backed by Mr Musyoka, his former political godfather turned enemy.

On the other hand, it would be a huge embarrassment for Mr Musyoka and a dent to his presidential ambitions should Wiper party fail to wrestle the Machakos governorship from Dr Mutua.

A win for Ms Ndeti, which would make her the fourth woman governor, would not only see Mr Musyoka consolidate his grip in the region but would also elevate Wiper Party to the league of political parties that qualify for State funding.

FINAL OUTCOME

As the county awaits the final outcome of the dispute, the political dynamics are fast shifting with each camp seeking to take advantage of the situation.

With Dr Mutua serving his second and final term in office, there is concern within Wiper that party MPs eyeing the seat in 2022 are reluctant to back Ms Ndeti, their party candidate, because her win may complicate their chances in the next elections.

Wiper MPs Patrick Makau (Mavoko) and Robert Mbui (Kathiani) plan to run for governor after Dr Mutua exits the stage but a new entrant who will be eligible to run again will affect their political ambitions.

Naturally, any of the aspirants would be more advantaged if the status quo remained until the next elections and this gives Dr Mutua an edge.

On the other hand, Dr Mutua has addressed more than 10 campaign rallies since Friday – an indication of the apprehension in his camp.

The governor faces arguably the biggest test in his political career so far and his allies have declared that he is preparing for the worst-case- scenario in going back to the ballot.

According to the election results posted on the IEBC website, Dr Mutua won in five out of the eight constituencies in Machakos County and was declared winner after garnering 238,405 votes against Ms Ndeti’s 199,257 votes. Ms Ndeti won in Kathiani, Mavoko and Machakos Town constituencies.

MAENDELEO CHAP CHAP

However, his Maendeleo Chap Chap Party managed to win only eight seats out of 59 Member of County Assembly seats with Wiper Party and National Super Alliance (Nasa) affiliate parties bagging 47.

Dr Mutua says his victory was not a win against Ms Ndeti but the Wiper leader and that he will emerge victorious again.

Ms Ndeti’s running mate Peter Mathuki says their victory was stolen and that they will trounce the governor in the repeat poll.

“We petitioned the election because we felt our votes were stolen. The burden of proof is on our side and we are ready to restore Machakos to its people,” said Mr Mathuki.

Machakos Town MP Victor Munyaka, a close ally of Dr Mutua, warns that the governor might not retain his seat if the county goes back to the ballot because he had failed in his duties.

Mr Munyaka says it will be hard for Dr Mutua to convince the electorate, the majority of whom have lost trust in him in the eight months he has served after his re-election.

“Machakos residents are waiting for the decision of the Supreme Court about Mutua’s appeal. I believe the governor has appealed against the ruling,” he said.