The Anchor Oct 2011: Ngilu- Kalonzo duels

Mrs Ngilu at Ndovoini Borehole in Kangundo

Ngilu, Kalonzo hold swords aloft

By Nguma Kitone

Water and Irrigation minister Charity Ngilu has told her enemies to brace for a bruising political battle with her in future.  “I want to tell those fighting me politically to be prepared because I will soon take them head on’, cautioned the Kitui Central MP.

Mrs Ngilu charged that her detractors were using unorthodox tactics to fight her and vowed no amount of intimidation will cow her.

Her remarks come in the wake of revelations that the KACC want her prosecuted for commissioning Ndovoini borehole in Kangundo, which is alleged to be incomplete and dry.But a visit to the borehole by Mrs Ngilu revealed that the facility is not just complete but has a high yield levels of water.

The facility has been a focal point for villagers in Kangundo who troop there by foot, bicycles, motorcycles, wheelbarrows, donkey and oxen driven carts to draw water.

This recommendation by KACC has left many wondering why they would want the minister prosecuted over the project. The Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko has since decided not to prosecute the minister and ordered further investigations into the matter.

Ngilu’s has been under probe for alleged impropriety at the ministry and has so far been cleared by two parliamentary Committees- the Equal Opportunities Committee and Committee on Land and Natural Resources.

Turmoil at the ministry has been raging quietly since Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka requested President Kibaki to remove Mrs Ngilu from the water ministry to check on her influence in Ukambani where she has lobbed millions of shillings to supply water, ostensibly due to the fact that Ukambani is a water deficient territory.

Kalonzo is wary that her activities in water provision, including in his own Mwingi North Constituency is touching the Akamba nerve and is likely to enhance his image as a man who only is seeking the presidency for own benefit rather than for the benefit of his people. Ngilu has been pounding the VP over his development record saying that for the 25 years he has been in Parliament and government he has advanced the politics of  ‘Me, I and Myself”, a label Kalonzo tries to distance himself from.

The fight to remove Ngilu from the ministry became open when her former Assistant Minister Mwangi Kiunjuri charged that the ministry was a corruption zone, triggering the current investigations.

True, the probe has found some suspected improprieties and ministry officials including the axed CEO of Tanathi Water Services Board Joseph Nzesya and other individuals are in court to face alleged impropriety charges.

Even then, Mr Tobiko says he has been under intense political pressure to take Ngilu to court. If that ever happens, those seeking to remove Ngilu will have won as she can not continue as Minister for water if she faces court action.

Observers believe that Ngilu opponents will use all sorts of tricks to immerse her into the dirt in the hope that the wave sweeping across Ukambani in support of her work in Ukambani will grind to a halt and hopefully work out a miracle for Kalonzo who is seeking the presidency with a much divided home front.

Anaysts are wondering why the VP is overzealously fighting Ngilu without an objective formula or caution and oblivious of the backlash that is unfolding over the failure by investigators to nail her over any of the many allegations over corruption. The net result of this effort will be the more he fights her, the more she becomes a greater threat to his presidential ambitions.

For Kalonzo needs to know that his biggest threat to his quest to be  Fourth President of Kenya will come from Ukambani. He will need the turf to be intact before venturing to other parts of Kenya where past brushes with ODM have left him widely despised. This is why no one, not even his PNU bedfellows have confidence with him, enough to give him an automatic candidature to face Raila Odinga in ODM.

To manifest this backlash, Ngilu has been getting invitations left right and centre to preside over events in Ukambani as confidence in her mounts, much to the mortification o the Kalonzo camp. The latest event was the event where she presided over the launch of Visa Card, SASRA License and Website of Universal Traders Sacco where all Ukambani traders seem keen to develop as bank for the three Counties of Ukambani.

Within a week, Ngilu was at Bomani AIC, Ndovoini in Kangundo, Universal Sacco, A youth Congress event at Machakos School and Machakos County Development Forum. She has held other many more events in Kitui and her schedule is getting crowded a her detractors dig in for a fight.

At the Sacco event where Youth Affairs and Sports Wavinya Ndeti accompanied her, the combative minister declared that she will not be “pushed” to support anybody who has never been part of the second liberation struggle.

“When some of us were being teargased fighting for change, some of those seeking the presidency were being used fight and frustrate our efforts”, she said.

Mrs.Ngilu rubbished the so called G7 alliance saying the leaders were weak and displayed cowardice. ‘ Why would so many men meet to plot how to tackle just one man; are they not telling us that that one person is too overwhelming for them? She wondered who among the seven would throw the first punch on their ODM opponent, Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

The minister challenged the alliance leaders to face the PM individually instead of hiding behind the alliance adding “when I decided to contest the presidency in 1997,I did not seek any alliance with anyone”.

She urged Kenyans to vet those seeking leadership and challenge them to show what they have done in the past.

“Politicians seeking the presidency must produce their score cards for the period they have been leadership for wananchi to rate them”,added Ngilu, striking a very popular theme that is viewed widely as an attack on the VP’s track record as the longest serving MP not just in Ukambani but indeed Eastern Province.

Wavinya told wananchi to judge leaders seeking their votes by their past development track record. The Kathiani MP urged the kamba community to change their way of thinking and go for responsible leadership if the region is to realize meaningful development