Corridors of Power

Tuesday, 03 May 2011 00:02 BY POLITICAL DESK

Maina Njenga, the born-again former leader of the dreaded Mungiki sect, reportedly met with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni last week in Kampala. It is not clear why Njenga was to meet Museveni or even if the meeting actually took place. What our moles in Njenga's camp tell us is that their man met with Museveni briefly before the president flew to Nairobi on Saturday.
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Insiders in the Rift Valley political leadership tell us emissaries have been sent to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government Musalia Mudavadi to persuade him to declare he wants to run for the presidency in the next elections. The message the messengers are carrying is that the region's leaders are likely to support him instead of Prime Minister Raila Odinga if the Sabatia MP decides to run. One of those reported to have indicated his preference for Mudavadi over Raila is ODM chairman Henry Kosgey who is unhappy with the latter for  "abandoning him at the hour of need." Kosgey has told friends that the PM did little to help him out with ICC and abuse of office case.
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Just why has the ODM delayed its party elections? The grassroots elections culminating in elections for national office were scheduled to be held in March and were subsequently postponed to a yet to be announced date. Anxious party officials and members are concerned about the unexplained delays in holding the elections which will give members an opportunity to replace officials such as Eldoret North MP William Ruto (Deputy Party Leader) and Tinderet MP (party chairman) and those who have opted out of the party without quitting formally.
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 Former MP Simon Mbugua, or Symo as he is known to his friends, is a very bitter man. Not only has he been locked out of defending his Kamukunji seat which he lost through a petition, the man cannot understand why Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has abandoned him in his hour of need. Uhuru, the Kanu national chairman, refused to sign his nomination letter which would have seen Symo defend his seat on a Kanu ticket. The self-made man who vigorously defended Uhuru whenever he came under attack in Parliament has now vowed to use all his resources to campaign for the ODM candidate Ibrahim Ahmed aka Johnny.