Kenya: Mutua Spills the Beans on Kenyatta-Mediated Deal That Denied UDA Machakos Seat

Nairobi — Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has revealed details of a deal brokered by President Uhuru Kenyatta that saw his Maendeleo Chap Chap (MCC) party step out of the Machakos senatorial by-election contest in favour of a Wiper Party candidate.

Speaking during a breakfast television show on Thursday, Governor Mutua said President Kenyatta promised Mutua Katuku a job at his Harambee House office and offered a refund for monies spent on his campaign for the Senate seat.

Wiper’s Agnes Kavindu went on to win the March 2021 senatorial race defeating Urbanus Muthama Ngengele of Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

“It was agreed that there was going to be compensation of money spent on campaigns and the President offered to make him an advisor on policy to sit at Harambee House without having to go through the Public Service Commission,” Mutua recalled when he appeared on Citizen TV.

“Katuku was never even offered the job of a cleaner, a cook or even a driver. It was reneged. So we’ve lost trust in word of mouth,” Governor Mutua said.

The Machakos Governor who was a sworn critic of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, often accusing him of doing little to change the fortunes of Ukambani region during the decades he served in government, said CCM agreed to the deal to deter Ruto from spreading his influence in the region.

Mutua spoke a day after eight Azimio-allied parties issued a statement demanding transparency on the coalition agreement binding over twenty parties in Azimio Movement.

The parties which included CCM, DAP-K, NARC, Muungano, PPT, MDP, CCU and Kenya Reform Party accused dominant players of sneaking in agreements to the Registrar of Political Parties without seeking concensus.

The parties coalescing Mwanzo Mpya said Jubilee Party, ODM and Wiper had been installed as the anchor parties to sit at the apex decision making organ on Azimio Movement excluding the rest of coalition members.

They also protested a zoning proposal arguing the same was shrouded in secrecy and that parties were being asked to endorse documents they were yet to read and analyze.