Battle lines for Key
Machakos
seats drawn
The scramble for elective seats
in Machakos County has started taking shape as the March 4, 2013 General
election draws closer.
And bitter rivalry among the
aspirants seeking the posts of Senator, Governor, and Members of Parliament is
taking centre stage and complicating the campaign trend in the County with
eight constituencies namely Masinga, Yatta, Kangundo, Matungulu, Kathiani,
Mavoko, Machakos Town and Mwala.
As a result camps are being created where candidates want to identify
with candidates whose rating is high among the voters in a County with a
population of 1,098,584 people.
Government Chief Whip and
Kangundo MP Johnson Nduya Muthama who has declared interest for the post of
Senator begun the campaign long ago and
was later joined by Nairobi Lawyer Boniface Kavaka. It appears that more faces
are yet to emerge to offer competition to the first time Kangundo Legislator,
who, to many see as a front runner in the race.US based Leonard Ndambuki has
also announced his interest and rumour has it that Machakos Town MP Dr Victor
Munyaka is contemplating seeking the seat in annoyance to his long standing
feud with Mr Muthama.
Munyaka has been engaging
Muthama in petty feuding and many have been at a loss as to why the two Wiper
party MPs have not been reading from the same script despite being close to
party leader Kalonzo Musyoka. By the time of going to press, Munyaka was
reported to be looking at Uhuru Kenyata's TNA party for refuge. Given the
political mood in Ukambani, such a move would ensure that Munyaka would only
win whatever seat he contested for by mistake.
Even though Mr Kavaka has criss-crossed the
County campaigning, he , like other candidates will have to contend with the
vastness of Machakos County. Kavaka has been less loud, calculating and
discreet as he tackles Muthama, campaigning on a platform of education. Whether this will work against Muthama's
bombardment approach that leaves thumbprints of things to come, only time will
tell. Even then.the Muthama rivals will also have to contend with the impact of
the phenomenal resources in his war chest, his ability to mobilize and the
advantage he enjoys for his longevity in Ukambani politics. Though Kavaka is a
monied operator also, he is operating from the weak position of being a loser
in the last poll for Masinga Constituency and the fact that he has been missing
in action in Machakos political life, making him a virtually unknown quantity in politics.
The only woman and new entrant for the
senate seat is civil society activist Vexina Mueni. Mueni
have been known to ad-vo-cate for women and children’s rights through her
or-ga-ni-zation Ini-tiative for Ad-vancement of Women and Chil-dren Rights. She
says the senate seat is all about policy making and she is able to come up with
policies that will change lives of Macha-kos County resi-dents having been
in-volved in various development issues in County. Mueni
adds that she wants to break the trend of having a certain clique of wealthy
people con-trolling resources in the County and open up oppor-tu-nities for
all. “Devolution
has changed how poli-tics will be done in our Counties and in Macha-kos County
I want to be part of the change that will do away with the sta-tus quo of the
circle of wealthy people who control major re-sources in the County.” she said
She
said that personal integrity will also play a huge role in the forthcoming
polls adding that party choice will not be a prob-lem because elec-torates will
go for leaders who are able to trans-form their lives. Although
she admits that some of the aspirants going for the same seat have financial
muscle, she believes that by en-gaging residents in de-vel-opment ori-ented
issues will help her win votes. The 36-year-old says she will work closely with the
youth, needy and women to develop the County.
“Having worked with women, needy people
and youth, I understand their needs and these are some of the things leaders
who have been elected before have ig-nored to take care of. I want to come in
and bridge the gap of de-vel-opment at the grassroots level by coming up with
policies that will touch lives of all Machakos County resi-dents. “she said.
How she manages to cam-paign re-mains to be seen, her civil society
cre-den-tials not-with-standing, given that the vast county will require
re-sources for one to traverse and create a con-sid-erable im-pact.
However the post of the
Governorship in Machakos County has attracted a big number of candidates
who include Government spokesman, Dr
Alfred Mutua, Youth and Sports Assistant Minister Wavinya Ndeti, the outgoing EPZ CEO Dr Mutule Kilonzo,
former Water Minister John Mutua Katuku, William Kivuvani, Former head of the
Directorate of Security Intelligence, another Ex Spy Jimmy Mumina, Engineer
Titus Ndundu, and former Deputy Governor of Central Bank Dr Nzioki Kibua,
former Knut national treasurer Peter Mutulu, Machakos lawyer Wambua Kilonzo,
former Kenya bureau of standards boss Dr Kioko Mang’eli, and former county
council chairman Stanley Mang’eli.
This crowded scene is indicative
of how crucial and attractive the post
of County Governor will be, not to mention the massive resources that the
governor will have to manage after the conties are in place.
So what exactly should citizens
look for in a Governor? Essentially, your Governor ought to be an efficient
manager of both people and resources and must be of impeccable integrity.
Besides, your Governor must have the passion to revolutionize how the
government works so as to realize swift reversal of the advances of poverty in the
county. Your Governor must have the requisite energy, a team leader, forceful,
yet diplomatic and have the potential to
be President of Kenya some day.
A look through the list and
others who are contemplating contesting shows some colorless, clueless and
clumsy individuals without ideas on how to advance a ward, let alone the
county. The list has several individuals who will have a difficult time scaling
through the integrity threshold that must be attained before one gets to the
ballot paper.
Those aspiring for the post of
Members of Parliament are still fighting and the list could be big, but
Machakos Town Constituency which represents the headquarters of the County
could be the hot spot, where current MP Dr Victor Munyaka is facing stiff
competition from among others Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) National
Treasurer Albanus Mutisya and former MPs Daudi Mwanzia, Jonesmus Kikuyu,
Machakos Chamber of Commerce and Industry Boss Simon Kitheka, TANATHI Director
Charles Kimeu and a galaxy of other politicians
In Mwala, outgoing MP Pastor
Daniel Muoki will fight it out with a galaxy of opponents led by Engineer
Vincent Musyoka, Lawyer Ben Musau, Prof Faith Muli and Mr Benson Muthama.
