It has emerged that plans are at an advanced stage for Nairobi governor Mike Sonko to take over former Kibwezi MP Kalembe Ndile’s political party, The Independent Party.
According to highly placed sources, Sonko has done his calculations and realised that he is unlikely to get the Jubilee party ticket to defend his seat in the 2022 elections.
He is of the view that the March 9 2018 handshake between Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga has changed the political landscape in Jubilee and in Nairobi in particular to favour a Kikuyu gubernatorial candidate.
His fear is that with the handshake where Raila will either go for the presidency or back another candidate together with Uhuru, Kikuyus, who cumulatively have about 1 million votes will demand the city gubernatorial seat as part of the arrangement, leaving the two leaders with no option but heed to the demand.
This will see Kikuyu and Luo, with a combined vote of over 1.5 million, team up to vote in one basket.
The Uhuru-Raila preferred city gubernatorial candidate is former Kenya National Congress presidential candidate Peter Kenneth, who will be deputised by a Luo.
Ndile
During the burial of Kenneth’s mother, Rahab, in Gatanga constituency in Murang’a county, Raila poured praises on the former MP, describing him as a skilled manager as evidenced by the way he steered Kenya Football Federation and other top posts. He also pleaded with Uhuru to give him a job.
This was a signal that better things await Kenneth, as Raila’s endorsement in city politics will translate to Luo, Luhya, Kisii together with the Kikuyu votes.
Raila has no time for Sonko, who, according to sources he dismisses as good for nothing clown.
Ndile was among political party leaders who prior to the 2017 general election folded their outfits to form Jubilee Party in which Uhuru and William Ruto defended their seats.
More than 12 parties agreed to merge to form JP, but some of them are now regretting the move, Ndile being one of them.
Sonko, according to sources, also knows that the wrangles in Jubilee are likely to cause a split, with either Ruto shipping out of the ruling party or Uhuru leading Mount Kenya into a political marriage with ODM, which will mean a Luo-Kikuyu alliance.
There are unconfirmed reports Sonko is exploring the possibility of going for the Machakos gubernatorial seat currently occupied by Alfred Mutua.
The Machakos governor is serving his second and final term, which makes the seat attractive to the Nairobi governor as he is also from the Kamba community.
If Sonko decides to vie for the Machakos gubernatorial seat, he will meet fierce resistance from the dominant party in the region, Wiper, headed by Kalonzo Musyoka.
Of late Sonko has been making forays in Machakos, the latest being on July 27 where he bashed Mutua, terming his directive to close some businesses in the county over non-compliance to by-laws as a witch-hunt.
Sonko, who held a public rally in the town, just two days after Mutua addressed the press in Nairobi over the sorry state of statues in the city, said the Machakos chief executive had no regard for the poor.
