By Daniel Nzia and Onesmus Nzioka
Youthful lawyer Kethi Kilonzo is the new battlefront for archrivals Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga.
Following her clearance on Thursday to vie for theMakueni Senate seat le_ vacant by her father, Ms Kilonzo will now carry the torch for Cord alliance’s fl agging political fortunes.
Kethi, a daughter of the late Makueni senator, Mutula Kilonzo has been propelled into national limelight by the bitter rival coalitions, Coalition for Restoration of Democracy, CORD, led by Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta’s ruling Jubilee coalition.
The contest is shaping up as a high stakes game pitting the President Uhuru and Raila, whose last encounter on March 4 left the country on heart stopping anxiety for weeks.
The two battled for the country’s presidency whose winner had to be determined by the Supreme Court after Raila disputed the results.
The Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Willy Mutunga ruled in favour of President Uhuru, a ruling rubbished by Raila and his CORD alliance camp.
Pundits say the Makueni Senate by-election scheduled for July 22 has now presented the combatants a political rematch that will test each coalition’s might.
For Jubilee, which performed dismally in the county and Ukambani region as a whole, a win will make it dislodge CORD’s affiliate party Wiper Democratic Movement party which enjoys massive following.
And for Wiper, it will be a do or die battle as it seeks to prove its popularity in Lower Eastern is unshakable and redeem the dwindling political fortunes of CORD’s principal ally, Kalonzo Musyoka.
Kalonzo, who was Raila’s running mate in the last election was consigned to the political wilderness by CORD’s loss in March.
Securing the seat left vacant by Mutula, the Wiper Democratic Party’s Secretary General would rescue Kalonzo’s tattered image.
Wiper hopes to retain its hold by presenting Kethi, the late Mutula’s daughter to secure her father’s seat.
Jubilee has been burning midnight oil mapping out ways of preventing Kethi and Wiper from recapturing the Makueni senatorial seat.
Central role
The Mutula family has been playing a central role in the Makueni race. At one point there were allegations that Mutula’s widow, Nduku Kilonzo had been wooed by Jubilee to contest the seat against her stepdaughter, Kethi.
After Nduku’s departure, Wiper banks on Kethi to battle it out with Jubilee’s Philip Kaloki.
The whirlwind, which has catapulted Kethi to the center of politics, has relegated some of the heavyweights also gunning for the seat. One of these giants is Party of Independent Candidate of Kenya (PICK) John Harun Mwau who was humiliated by the late Mutula.
In the race too is Jane Kitundu, who unsuccessfully contested the county women representative seat and who is now contesting on a LPK ticket.
Kethi’s entry into the race has reduced Mwau to a bystander as CORD and Jubilee hog the political limelight ahead of settling what analysts term as unfinished business from the last General Election.
Analysts say Mwau started the race to succeed the late Mutula on the wrong footing after initially appearing to be sympathetic to the Jubilee candidate, only to make an about turn and go for it on his own.
Political suicide
Residents say they are not aware of Mwau’s candidature because they heard that he was supporting the Jubilee candidate Prof Kaloki.
The PICK party leader surprised many when he appeared for clearance to contest for the seat that his supporters say he must win or else he will have committed political suicide.
The same fate befalls Prof Kaloki who unsuccessfully contested the Makueni governorship.
“Prof Kaloki must either win or forget about politics because a loss for him would mean political suicide,” says Daniel Wambua, a political analyst.
Prof Kaloki banks heavily on the support of the Government to secure the seat, arguing that he is the link for the Kamba people to the government.
“The Kamba people have never been in the opposition. My candidature offers them an opportunity to be in government after missing out in the last General Election,” says Prof Kaloki.
On the other hand, the Wiper family is so keen on winning the seat as a loss will see the party lose its Senate nomination slot.
“The Makueni Senate contest is a must win race for Wiper which risks losing the nomination seat in the senate,” said Johnstone Muthama, the Machakos senator.
Muthama has urged Makueni residents to prove to the world that they were still firm in Wiper and CORDby voting for Kethi.
Kethi is therefore marshaling her soldiers for the battle to ensure her departed father’s spirits are appeased in his grave.
CORD leaders trooped to the county recently where they unveiled her, saying she is their torchbearer and urged Makueni residents to vote for her in large numbers.
Torch bearer
Led by the top CORD luminaries Raila, Musyoka and Moses Wetangula, the leaders said the seat belongs to them.
“You overwhelmingly voted for the late Mutula in the last General Election. I am sure you will do the same for Kethi. This seat is ours,” said Kalonzo.
Raila asked the electorate to write history by being the first county to have an elected woman senator.
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