Ngilu, Mutua in Raila new Kamba lineup – Weekly Citizen

As he prepares to shoot what everyone believes is his last and least bullet, Raila Odinga, true to his political DNA has sidestepped, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, his running mate in the last two failed attempts for State House. But keen not to lose the Kamba vote block that has fervently voted for him in the 2013 and 2017 elections en-mass, Raila has now shifted his attention to the number two and number three political voices in Ukambani – Charity Ngilu the governor of Kitui and Alfred Mutua the Machakos governor respectively. As for Makueni county, Raila is said to be in talks with Makueni senator Mutula Kilonzo with the aim of making inroads in this Kalonzo’s most supportive county in the region.

Charity Ngilu

Ngilu has assured Raila that Mutula is game “because of issues he has with Kalonzo”. Already, it is said, Ngilu who is said to be greatly excited by the scheme has hit the ground sprinting and is in the process of cobbling up a team of anti-Kalonzo operatives from Ukambani with a view of proving to Raila that he can do without Kalonzo in the area. Ngilu, once again, is doing the win-win political calculations that have seen her remain at the near centre of power and sometimes in the centre ever since she entered politics in 1992. Because she is the most senior woman politician in Kenya today and has been for nearly three decades now, Ngilu’s idea is to support Raila and if Raila wins the presidency, she becomes one of the top four leaders in Kenya. Indeed, there are those who say that Raila might pick her as his running mate to fill up the void Kalonzo has left. Others say that Ngilu is, as she eyes the deputy presidency with one eye, also focusing on the deputy prime minister with the other eye. True to his political chicanery that knows no end or shame, Raila has assured Ngilu that she will not in any case land lower than deputy prime minister.

Alfred Mutua

The Building Bridges Initiative led by Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila, if it succeeds, will create two deputy prime ministers just as the coalition government of Raila and Mwai Kibaki had one of which was held by Uhuru of Kanu from the Kibaki wing and the other by Musalia Mudavadi from the Raila wing. By a streak of immeasurable luck that seems to be running out now, Kalonzo, as he had prophesied of passing between Raila and Kibaki, became the vice president, something that gave Raila sleepless nights and restless days as he fought, childishly sometimes, to prove that he was the more senior between him and Kalonzo. Given the deputy presidency and the deputy prime minister, Ngilu is said to prefer the deputy prime minister slot because unlike the deputy president, where she will be a running mate, and hence lose all in case Raila does not win, for the deputy prime minister, Ngilu will still be defending her governor seat and if she wins it, she will forego the deputy PM office. If she loses the governor office though, and Raila wins the presidency or if his coalition has the highest number of MPs, she will become DPM as the party with the majority in parliament has its party leader becoming PM automatically.

Mutula Kilonzo Jr

As for Mutua, as much as he is trumpeting that he is going to run for president, everyone who knows the man can see that this is a mere gimmick to up his stakes. Mutua, it is clear as the day is deadset on becoming a cabinet secretary in the next government. A fellow more lucky than smart, Mutua is said to be now scouting for a constituency in Machakos to run for parliament in so that he becomes MP which will be the first entry point to cabinet if the BBI constitution amendments are adopted. While some people are telling Mutua to run in Machakos Town, others are telling him to run for Kilome constituency seat in Makueni because his father comes from Mbitini. Those who say Mutua is not genuinely interested in the presidential seat add that he does not have the money to mount a presidential campaign and that contrary to assumptions that he has stashed billions of shillings somewhere, the man cannot even raise Sh2 million on a day’s notice.

Kivutha Kibwana

All the money in Machakos county, they claim, is in the hands of Mutua’s chief-of-staff, Mwengi Mutuse, who controls the county finances and decides what contractor is to be given tenders and who is to be paid when the National Treasury sends money to the county. Mutuse, it is said, has read Mutua’s mind and hence controls him like one controls a robot. Because Mutua allegedly loves women like no other man you have ever met, it is claimed, Mutuse ensures that the governor has an endless supply of beauties every weekend. It is even claimed that Mutuse sometimes acts as a pimp to Mutua and as Mutua enjoys in exclusive hotels in Mombasa where he spends all his weekends or in Dubai where he used to hop to like others hop from Kitengela to Nairobi, Mutuse is busy running the county. Those who know how the two operate say that Mutua is ever telling Mutuse to “organize a Mercedes Benz for this girl because she has to be seen coming to visit governor in a nice machine”

Johnston Muthama

This, it is said, is the sweetest music to Mutuse’s ears as he heads to a car bazaar, buys a Sh2 million Mercedes Benz, calls the girl to go collect it, and then bills the county Sh4 million. It remains a mystery to many in Machakos that Mutua has escaped all the graft accusations against him although it is said that the last time when the heat was too much, Mutua and Ngilu who was also facing accusations of graft made a trip to Raila’s office with Sh10 million each to buy protection. Incidentally, Makueni governor Kivutha Kibwana was also roped in and he reportedly came along with a briefcase stuffed with Sh5 million. After they handed over their cargoes, Raila reportedly told them that was not enough and asked them to join him in the Kibra by-election and implore upon Kambas to vote for his ODM candidate Imran Okoth. It is worth noting that Kalonzo had thrown his weight behind Kenneth Butiko of Moses Wetang’ula’s Ford-Kenya party.

Kalonzo Musyoka

It is also worth remembering that as the clamour of BBI heightened, Ngilu had organized for the Kitui BBI rally on the same day Kalonzo had organized for his own in Machakos. Try as he could to make Raila attend the Machakos rally, Kalonzo failed and he had to cancel his Machakos rally and attend the Kitui one whose chief guest was Raila. In Makueni, Raila has settled on Mutula although many say this is a pointer to how desperate Raila is to bag the Kamba vote because many do not see Mutula as having any influence. Mutua is seen by many as an arrogant man who has no time for the common man or woman. It is not uncommon to see the senator seated alone at T Tot Hotel in Machakos having a meal with no one daring to say hello as the man oozes hostility. How Mutua will become an asset and not a liability to Raila remains to be seen. Former senator Johnson Muthama and Kibwana have fallen out with the Wiper leader on political principles.