Jubilee plots to win Raila’s strongholds

United Republican Party members Leah Ntimama and Barry Shill during a party retreat in Naivasha, Saturday.  [PHOTO: ANTONY GITONGA/STANDARD]

By Stephen Makabila  

The ruling Jubilee coalition has mounted an onslaught on CORD as a team led by Deputy President William Ruto continues fishing for supportive MPs from opposition strongholds.

The Jubilee team is in overdrive gear to marshal support across the country to bolster its political fortunes and prepare to counter any demands for a referendum.

“We have our targets which will lead into the Jubilee team getting back its support in Coast, Western and Gusii areas,” said an MP attending a URP retreat in Naivasha yesterday. President Uhuru Kenyatta’s weeklong sojourn to the Coast where he handed squatters more than 60,000 title deeds is part of the wider political plot by Jubilee to win support in the region.

Speaking in Coast, Ruto said the government would seek to quickly deal with issues that made voters in the region reject Jubilee, among them the land question, which was heavily exploited by CORDduring the campaigns.

Pitched tent

Ruto and Raila have pitched tent in Western this weekend, with the DP attending the homecoming of Malava MP Moses Malulu and Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe today. Raila was in neighbouring Butere constituency yesterday for the homecoming of area MP Andrew Toboso. Jubilee, however, seem to have made strong inroads in the region, with at least 15 MPs willing to work with the government. 

Ruto insists although the region mainly voted forCORD, it can back the Jubilee government but leaders from the region have also gone back to the drawing board to chart their own course.

Yesterday, a team led by former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo, former Speaker Kenneth Marende, Cotu Secretary-General Francis Atwoli, former Cabinet ministers Noah Wekesa and Soita Shitanda met with professionals to decide the political destiny of the region.

All MPs from the region were invited for the meeting at Golf Hotel in Kakamega although it was not clear if Amani coalition leaders Musalia Mudavadi and Eugene Wamalwa would attend. Also present were hundreds of teachers’ representatives and high school principals expected to commit themselves to ensuring no student in the region leaves school before acquiring an Identity Card.

First-term MPs

A group of first-term MPs in the region have stood their ground in defence of their newfound co-operation with the Jubilee government. Ruto has made several trips to the region in recent weeks, visiting Busia, Kakamega and Bungoma counties.

MPs who have expressed their willingness to work with the Jubilee government include Wangwe, Malulu and Lugari MP Ayub Savula, also the Parliamentary Agriculture Committee chairman.

Others are Bumula MP Bonface Otsyula, Ikolomani MP Benard Shinali, Webuye West MP Dan Wanyama, Nambale MP John Bunyasi and Matayos MP Geoffrey Odanga. Apart from those first-term MPs, some from the old guard like Yusuf Chanzu (Vihiga), Alfred Sambu (Webuye-East), David Were (Matungu), John Serut (Mt. Elgon) and Ben Washiali (Mumias East) are also comfortably working with the government. The long list of Jubilee MPs in the region includes the coalition’s two elected MPs, Mary Emase (Teso South) and Arthur Odera (Teso North).

“We have chosen development for our people and not empty politics that can only serve to drive a wedge between the region and the government. No amount of mudslinging is going to change our stand,” Wangwe told The Standard On Sunday.

Malulu was also categorical: “I know there are those claiming we are greenhorns engaged in stomach politics, but our people know we are co-operating for the sake of their own wider developmental needs and not our own selfish interests.”

Savula said it was because of their camaraderie with the government that the President was likely to visit the region anytime soon to initiate development projects.

“We did not agree on the exact date during our recent State House meeting but it is not going to take long before the visit comes through,” said Savula. In Coast, the Jubilee government initiated a crash programme to issue some 60,000 title deeds on Friday. The project appears to be working because local leaders vowed to work with the government for development purposes during their meeting with Kenyatta, Ruto and Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu. Leaders in the region who have pledged to work with the government include Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar, Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi and Likoni MP Masoud Mwahima.

Serving the people

“We are going to work with you as we serve the people,” Uhuru assured CORD leaders. “We wish to end this land problem in the region once and for all. We do not want anybody else to use the land crisis… as a campaign tool,” said President Kenyatta.

In Kisii and Nyamira counties, Jubilee strategists have been meeting to lay strong political grounds to influence ODM leaders to support the government in the wake of referendum calls. The region voted overwhelmingly for Raila in the March 4 General Election.

Kisii Deputy Governor Joash Maangi invited the Deputy President to attend his homecoming party at Riabongera in Bomachoge Chache Constituency last weekend.

Reports indicate that Jubilee is trying to penetrate Kisii region using Maangi since the governor, James Ongwae, is perceived to be too close to former Prime minister Raila Odinga.  But internal wrangling over leadership in ODM could further exacerbate CORD’s vulnerability in the hands of Jubilee. Yesterday, ODM Executive Director Mr Magerer Lang’at downplayed the internal squabbles, saying the party was on the right path to re-organisation ahead of national elections either in December or early January.

“The National Delegates Convention (NDC) to be set by a National Governing Council (NGC) later this month will elect the officials and I can assure you the elections will be free and fair and free of patronage,” said Magerer. During a meeting of its Senators held at Deputy President Ruto’s residence last week, the Jubilee leadership resolved to use its majority in both the National Assembly and the Senate to deal with its political challenges.

“We control majority in both the Senate and the National Assembly and we want a synchronised working relationship when the two Houses resume business on September 17,” said Senate Majority leader Prof Kindiki Kithure. In the National Assembly, Jubilee has a 216 majority, only 16 MPs short of the 232 absolute majority that can enable it effect constitutional changes.