Poll Witnesses Emergence of New Regional Kingpins

BY SAMWEL BORN MAINA
MONDAY, 11 MARCH, 2013

A new crop of leaders has emerged after the conclusion of this year’s historic General Election. Political greenhorns floored kingpins in different regions of the country.

They are now poised to take over the mantle from the old guard who have been synonymous with regional politics. Among the famous faces that were shown the door by voters were Charity Ngilu, Sally Kosgei, Henry Kosgey, Chirau Ali Mwakwere, William ole Ntimama, Samuel Poghisio, Prof Margaret Kamar, Amos Kimunya, Sam Ongeri, Najib Balala, Gitobu Imanyara, Magerer Langat, Harun Mwau, Ayiecho, John Mututho, Nicholas Biwott, Ayiecho Olweny, Fred Kapondi, Joshua Kuttuny,Danson Mungatana and Bifwoli Wakoli.

These and others were among the main casualties of the voters’ axe. They were floored mainly due to the lack of appeal due to the parties whose tickets they used to vie for positions of governor, senator or parliamentary seats.

In Narok, for instance, the supremacy of Ntimama was finally stopped after the electorate decided to rest him and instead gave the Narok North seat to Moitelel ole Kantai. Experts agree that the fall of regional kingpins will now usher in a new crop regional dealmakers. At the same time, Deputy President-elect William Ruto, who successfully delivered the Rift Valley block’s votes to the Jubilee coalition basket, has now cemented his supremacy in the region.

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy had banked hopes on Kosgey to deliver a share of the cake from the vote-rich province. He, however, failed to shake the United Republican Party (URP) wave that swept the Kalenjin bloc. His bid to clinch the Nandi Senatorial seat on an ODM ticket flopped after being floored by a youthful lawyer Stephen Sang of URP.

Prof Egara Kabaji of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology agrees that a number of politicians lost their bids and power due to the parties they were affiliated with. He identifies former Central Imenti MP Gitobu Imanyara as an obvious example. “He knew by jumping to the Cord bandwagon in the Jubilee zones, his chances of becoming Senator in Meru were zero,” says Kabaji, a professor of communication.

He says the likes of Ongeri were floored due to their advanced age. “The people of Kisii have a tendency of kicking out old people from leadership positions, look at what they did to Nyachae, could someone think that he was unshakeable?” Prof Kabaji adds Nyachae was voted out in the 2007 elections after being the Gusii bloc point man for decades.

The election of Chris Obure on an ODM ticket for the Kisii county senatorial position puts him in the limelight. In the Coast, despite two of the presumed strong politicians in the region- Balala and Mwakere- being incorporated into the Jubilee bandwagon, their influence was watered down and voters rejected them.

“It is a matter of track record. The electorate put the two in a weighing machine and decided they were not up to it,” Shitemi Shikandi, a political commentator says. Mwakwere lost Kwale senatorial contest to Boy Juma Boy while Balala was trounced by Hassan Omar in the Mombasa Senatorial contest.

The supremacy of the two in the Coastal region faces a stern test with the emergence of the new crop which threatens the hold of the two in the Coastal politics. Kennedy Akida, a human activist in the Coast, says the region did party politics with Balala and Mwakwere being caught on the wrong side of party allegiance. “In Coast, people voted according to parties. It was simple, it is either you are in Cord or you go home,” says Akida.

In the Eastern region, the outgoing Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka-led Wiper Democratic Movement had an upper hand and effectively created a wave that sent packing political heavyweights in the region. Despite her efforts in providing water for residents of Ukambani, Ngilu faced the popularity of David Musila and the Wiper Democratic Movement for the Kitui Senatorial seat.

Despite losing the seat to Musila, observers agree her presence in the Jubilee alliance helped Uhuru attain the 50 percent plus one vote threshold. “The fact that she denied the Cord coalition a 100 percent sweep for the Kamba vote makes her an important element in Jubilee,” Dr Adams Oloo, a political analyst said yesterday during a post-election analysis. He said Ngilu’s national face makes her relevant in Kenya’s politics even after being trounced.

“Although the Wiper wave dominated the Kamba politics, her presence frustrated Cord’s 100 percent bid, and hence her share played a key role in propelling the Jubilee Coalition towards the 50 percent plus one threshold,” says Dr Oloo, who teaches Political Science at the University of Nairobi. In the northern region, political supremacy maintained the status quo with most of the old guard making a comeback.

However, the Western region faced major changes with the region’s supremacy expected to shift to Cord coalition partner Moses Wetang’ula who not only did clinch the Bungoma Senatorial seat, but also managed to rattle Amani Coalition Musalia Mudavadi’s chances of getting a larger share of the Luhya vote. His presence now will frustrate Mudavadi’s chances of being tin control of the Western bloc vote.

Eugene Wamalwa, who sacrificed his ambition for Mudavadi, finds himself in a tight corner. Initially, he had a soft touch for Uhuru but later drifted away to back Mudavadi. Wamalwa was present during the launch of The National Alliance party last year. Whether the entry of greenhorns into political power marks a sign of reshuffling in the regional kingships remains to be a conjecture.

However, in the event the big losers crawl their way back to the next government, their regional supremacy may remain as realignments will take place.