There is celebration and dejection in equal measure in Ukambani following the political culling that never was. For the last few months, Azimio candidates not backed by Wiper have been keeping their fingers crossed as talk had it that the month of June would mark the end of their political journeys because they would all be cast aside to pave way for Wiper candidates.
Charity Ngilu
So confident that they would have an easy ride to power were Wiper candidates that some had relaxed in the assumption that they had won the seats already. It thus came as a shock when June came and passed and the expected culling did not take place. As the reality hits home, some of the Wiper candidates are now increasingly becoming frustrated and desperate with some resorting to insults and incredulous allegations against their opponents. Incidentally, the only person to suffer the June scissors was not just any other candidate, but a sitting governor.
Kalonzo Musyoka
Kitui governor Charity Ngilu was the odd woman out after she declared that she was not going to defend her seat. Although the surprise development was seen as deal-cutting between Kalonzo Musyoka and Ngilu to give Wiper’s candidate Julius Malombe advantage, the truth of the matter is that Ngilu had long ago given up on retaining her seat and the agreement came as a reprieve for Ngilu who had been looking for an opportunity to save face. It is worth noting that Ngilu was the very last person to return her nomination papers for clearance at the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission after dilly dallying much to the anxiety of her followers.
Julius Malombe
Those in the know say that Ngilu had initially made up her mind not to defend her seat in the hope that she would be appointed minister by Raila if Azimio won the presidential race. It was only when Raila’s newfound buddy Makau Mutua declared that Ngilu would not get a CS position in Raila’s government that Ngilu ran and presented her papers to IEBC. According to Mutua, Ngilu is too corrupt to be acceptable to the governments in the West that want accountability and transparency in Raila’s government.
Makau Mutua
Mutua has lately been fashioning himself as the link between donors in America and Raila and was the one who organised Raila’s last trip to America that was however cut short after Mutua nearly came to blows with Martha Karua. There are however fears among Kenya’s Christian base that Mutua is going to introduce some unacceptable habits to Kenya such as same sex marriage because his donors reportedly include gay groups which are keen on exporting their satanic bearing and make Kenya a Sodom officially using their dollars to arm-twist Raila government into adopting laws friendly to the unhuman sexual orientation.
Kivutha Kibwana
Ngilu’s withdrawal from the race is said to not have gone down well with Raila who would have wanted Kalonzo’s Wiper to lose the seat. Indeed, it is said that the reason Raila has not been keen to agree with the Kalonzo zoning plan in Ukambani is because nothing would make Raila happier than see Kalonzo lose seats in Ukambani. The only concession Raila made to Kalonzo was the standing down of Ngilu in Kitui and this was because Raila had information that Ngilu was not going to win the race anyway and so Raila being the cunning political animal that he is wanted to make Kalonzo feel like it was a painful decision to make.
Daniel Maanzo
In Makueni however, Raila refused to prevail upon Governor Kivutha Kibwana to step aside in the senate race for Wiper’s Daniel Maanzo. Kibwana’s Muungano party is one of the parties that form Azimio as is Ngilu’s Narc. Kalonzo had expected that Azimio would have him field only Wiper candidates in Ukambani but he was however informed that Ukambani is not an exclusive Wiper zone and as such the other parties have a right to field candidates. But that Ukambani is a free for all even as Raila seeks to make his Luo Nyanza an exclusive ODM zone is proved by the fact that UDM is fielding a governor candidate in Makueni county to battle with Wiper’s Mutula Kilonzo.
Wavinya Ndeti
In Makueni, ODM has David Masika himself an unsuccessful candidate for governor of Makueni in the last two general elections.In Machakos, Kalonzo’s wish to have Wavinya Ndeti the sole candidate from the Azimio side did not materialise after polls established that Wavinya was not the favourite and that it is Nzioka Waita of CCU who has an upper-hand. The more Wavinya made meet-the-people tours the more she exposed herself as a candidate with no substance. After three months of campaigns, Machakos people discovered that even the most average of them was better than Wavinya in all aspects expect in cash.
Nzioka Waita
Matters for Wavinya have not been helped by challenges on her education whereby two Wiper party members have been on her case claiming that she is not qualified to become governor because she does not have a degree.Wavinya herself has not done anything to allay those allegation and has instead only helped fan them by her unconvincing defence of her papers. In the last remarks about her education, Wavinya said that it is easy to know whether she has a degree because all one needs do is go to the “South Bank or City University portal na ulipe sijui 20 ama 30 pounds na utapata information yote hapo.”
David Masika
Some however wondered why Wavinya cannot do that herself and screenshot it for the whole world to see. It is of interest also that Wavinya is now confusing London South Bank University with City University. That she is not sure of the amount paid meaning that she has not tried it herself. But it is in Kitui where the biggest ramifications from the zoning are being felt with Ngilu’s supporters refusing to come to terms with her decision to throw in the towel. It is imperative to note that Ngilu’s regime was more of an exclusive club of plunderers that extended its tentacles far and wide with the loot reaching for corners of the county.
Mutula Kilonzo Jr
These people now are facing an uncertain future because even if Ngilu gets minister’s seat, she can only absorb a handful as opposed to being county boss where she had hired thousands directly and by tenders and contracts. As if to express their displeasure, Ngilu’s followers have vowed not to support Malombe and are behind David Musila. Indeed, it is said that Ngilu is quietly backing Musila and has advised her supporters accordingly.
