COMING BACK

The creation of a senate in the proposed constitution is the reason a former MP wants it to pass at the referendum, because it would widen his chances of being elected to serve.

Former Ganze MP Katana Ngala is one of those who are keen to return to elective politics, either as an MP or senator.

Mr Ngala said the senate would create more political room for people like him.

My constituents

“Some of my constituents have been asking me to come back because they have missed my leadership and I have thought about it. I will not hesitate to lead them at any time because I am committed,” said the 62 year-old politician.

Mr Ngala first went to Parliament in 1974 following the death of his father, Mr Ronald Ngala, in a road accident. The junior Ngala was Ganze MP until he lost in the 2002 General Election during the Narc euphoria.

He served as minister in various portfolios, including Tourism and Lands and Settlement. He is now engaged in what he calls “small businesses here and there,” although during his years in politics he invested in real estate in Mombasa.

Mr Ngala supports the proposed constitution, saying it addresses all the issues that initially divided Kenyans.

“With this constitution we will not have an excessively powerful president because there are checks and balances that even allow for impeachment. The constitution allows for equitable distribution of resources,” he said.

On regional governments (majimbo) for which the constitution does not expressly provide, Mr Ngala said there was a starting point in devolution through the counties.

But former MP Koigi wa Wamwere opposes the proposed constitution in its current form. He said it has several flaws, which even the government has admitted. Mr Wamwere says the document should have been improved before being subjected to a referendum.

The former Subukia MP has been a busy man since he left Parliament trying to pursue a career he had wished to practise when he was a young man — becoming a full time journalist.

He owns an FM radio station, Sauti ya Mwananchi, for which he works. The radio station in the outskirts of Nakuru town, broadcasts at a radius of 150 kilometres in Kiswahili.

Mr Wamwere said he has invested more than Sh15 million in the station, where he has concentrated most of his efforts to ensure that this prime investment continues to flourish despite massive competition from other stations.

He has also been busy writing books, commentaries in various journals, and been hosted in radio and TV talk shows.

“We want to remain a regional radio station so that we can penetrate areas that the national ones have not ventured into by ensuring that the local news are captured,” he says.

During the 2008 post election violence, the station narrowly escaped being destroyed after gangs threatened to reduce it to ashes.

“We were concerned that the armed youths would harm us, but when we explained that our editorial policy was non-partisan, they understood and appreciated our role in championing democracy,” says Mr Wamwere.

He reckons that while MPs jostle to “catch the eye” of the Speaker in National Assembly debates, he has his own forum where he believes he can articulate various issues. He is yet to consider making a political comeback in 2012.

And in the South Rift, Mr John Koech, formerly a Cabinet minister and Chepalungu MP, said he was still listening to the people before announcing his side in the referendum.

As he awaits the people’s verdict, he is a dairy farmer in his rural Kiriba village in Siongiroi Division.

The Nation traced the former East Africa and Regional Cooperation minister to his farm with his wife Angelina, busy in their zero grazing unit and pasture yards.

Mr Koech has more than 10 quality dairy cows, several heifers, bull calves, and seven acres under napier grass, Sudan grass, and Boma rodes.

Each of the animals, he told the Nation in an interview, brings him between 15 to 25 litres of milk daily and each litre sells at Sh30.

Mr Koech says he intends to raise the stock to at least 30 grade cattle during the year. He uses artificial insemination to improve his breeds.

“With this kind of engagement, I’m comfortable and able to feed my family and meet their other obligations without much ado,” he said.

The former Chepalungu MP said he had mobilised the farmers in Segemik and Kiriba sub-locations before encouraging the entire constituency to get into dairy farming.

“We meet with these farmers frequently and tackle challenges,” he said.

Mr Koech added: “We have agreed to set up a milk cooling plant in Olbutyo and Bomet trading centres to check waste of afternoon milk.”

The former minister is also stocking bulls for beef and poultry farming to broaden his earnings.

He said that working closely with farmers and the rest of the Chepalungu residents, helping solve their problems and consulting on development was a measure of some of his plans to make a come back in politics.

“I’m a young man and let my colleagues be put in the know that I will be contesting for the Chepalungu parliamentary seat come 2012.”

He said some of the lessons that he learnt from politics were that Kenyan politicians practise tribal politics.

He also learnt from politics that one was easily viewed by the community as a sellout when he or she approached issues nationally.

His working with the government, he said, was not in vain and cites improved roads network, dams, rural electrification, schools, health centres, bridges, water projects, proper use of CDF funds as some of the gains during his tenure as MP.

Over in Imenti, is former Finance minister David Mwiraria, remembered for being the first high profile Cabinet minister in the President Kibaki administration to resign on being linked to corruption.

He later bounced back after he was absolved of any involvement in the multi-million dollar Anglo Leasing scam.

Mr Mwiraria, a close ally of President Kibaki’s however, was among key personalities who lost in the 2007 General Election, having served as North Imenti MP for three terms.

But unlike some of his colleagues who went into oblivion, Mr Mwiraria is now the chairperson of the board of trustees of the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Besides that, the career economist is currently involved in commercial wheat, horticulture, and livestock farming. He owns huge tracts of land in Timau, Ruiri, and Mulika areas. Mr Mwiraria also has interests in the distribution of cement and newspapers under his flagship company Namiruri Limited.

He is involved in charity work at the Jerusha Mwiraria Children’s home, which was started in memory of his wife.

But the former minister will not yet reveal whether he has any plans for a political comeback.

Appropriate time

“That is my secret for now. I will communicate at the appropriate time. Right now I just want to remain quiet without attracting undue publicity,” he told the Nation in a telephone interview.

At the constituency level, Mr Mwiraria has avoided public events, only hosting small groups of people at his home at Gitimbine in Meru municipality.

The last event he graced was a funds drive at Gikumene Girls School, also attended by assistant ministers Peter Kenneth and Cecily Mbarire and MP Silas Muriuki, who replaced him.

Mr Mwiraria enjoys considerable support, especially around the populous Meru municipality, Ruiri, and Giaki areas.

Gitonga Marete, Simon Siele, Geoffrey Rono, and Charles Wanyoro