Will Kioni’s allure alter Mudavadi’s fortunes?

By JAMES MUNYEKI

The Amani Coalition’s deputy President candidate and Musalia Mudavadi’s running mate Jeremiah Kioni was seen as a mouthpiece for Mt Kenya region during his time in Parliament.

But those who know him say he is charismatic, outspoken, a serious debater and a focused leader. The former Ndaragwa MP’s appointment as Mudavadi’s running mate has without doubt propelled him to national limelight.

He is one of the few outgoing Central Province MP who has stuck with Mudavadi and was instrumental in negotiating a short-lived dalliance with Uhuru Kenyatta that would have seen the former Sabatia MP fielded as the Jubilee Coalition presidential candidate.

Political analyst Peter Kagwanja says by naming Kioni as his running mate, Mudavadi is attempting to rebuild broken bridges with the Kikuyus after the bungled efforts to build a Jubilee Alliance with Uhuru and William Ruto.

“In a sense, Mudavadi is trying to tap into the Kikuyu support particularly after the badly flawed TNA party primaries. However, it is a wait and see matter as to whether Kioni is going to make Mudavadi’s flag fly,” says Prof Kagwanja.

However, former Gatanga MP David Murathe says Mudavadi has “lost his marbles” by picking Kioni as his running mate.

“It is a ticket of no consequence that adds no value to the Amani Alliance. We believe Kioni would not even have won the Ndaragwa parliamentary seat had he tried to defend it on any ticket,” says the former MP, a key ally of Uhuru Kenyatta.

Observers also say that the conservative nature of voters in Central Kenya is likely to work against him.

With The National Alliance (TNA) wave sweeping across the region, they argue that Kioni will find it difficult to sell Mudavadi’s candidature especially in central.

Kioni has in the past been a steadfast supporter of Uhuru during the constitutional review and also over The Hague issue.

At one point, he was touted as a possible replacement of Transport minister Amos Kimunya after he was suspended during the Grand Regency scandal.

His decision to join UDF, therefore, set tongues wagging.

However in his inaugural message, Kioni made it clear that his support for Mudavadi’s bid should not be seen as an affront to his old friend Uhuru Kenyatta.

“I am not against Uhuru, but I believe Amani Coalition will be the choice of Kenyans,” pointed out Kioni after being unveiled as Mudavadi’s running mate.

Undecided voters

Some analysts argue that Kioni is most likely to change the political scenario in central Kenya and have his political status uplifted.

“Although the scenario will not change much the way central politics are, it will have an effect in that some undecided votes will go to his side,” argues politician John Maina.

He says that his style of politics will boost Mudavadi not only in central Kenya but also outside the region.

“He tackles issues the way the common Mwananchi would like them handled and always hits the nail on the head. Unlike others who like riding on Uhuru’s name, Kioni argues matters according to his way of thinking and this might change the political scenario in many parts of the country,” he says.

Kioni says he is focused to build a new crop of leaders who will change the way politics are done in Kenya.

“I have been to Central Kenya and we have received good reception. We want to depart from politics of who is who in which community and instead elect leaders according to their development record,” argues Kioni.

He believes he is better placed for the job and has good leadership qualities. “There were so many people who would be named as running mates but my way of thinking is different from them. That is why Mudavadi chose me since he believes in me. We are determined to change the political scenario in the country,” he notes. “Although he was seen as a mouth piece in central, his naming as running mate might not necessarily change the voting trend in the region.

He will have to fight hard and convince the electorate that Musalia is better placed for the job,” argues Samuel Muraya, a politician in Nyandarua.

He says that many Nyandarua residents were happy with Kioni’s leadership styles but may not vote the Amani Coalition since Uhuru is deemed stronger than him.

Muraya also argues that should they lose, Kioni might run for higher seats in the next polls as his name will now be a household name in Kenyan politics.

Kioni is a graduate of the University of Nairobi where he graduated with a bachelors and a masters degree in Land Economics. He also has a degree in Law from the same university.

A first timer in Parliament, Kioni has been described as a serious debater who has always attracted attention from his colleagues.