Noisy wars in Kalonzo turf ahead of Uhuru tour – Weekly Citizen

Mutambo

President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to visit Ukambani later this month on an invitation by Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka as part of his efforts to popularise the handshake in the region.
The president’s last visit in the region was when he attended the burial of Kalonzo’s father in Kitui county where Kalonzo declared his intention to support the handshake initiative between Uhuru and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Kalonzo’s move was highly criticised by governors from the region who wondered how Kambas were to benefit now that they are behind Uhuru. The county bosses led by Wiper party chairman and Makueni governor Kivutha Kibwana would later form a movement to check Kalonzo in the region.

Ngumbau

Musyoka

The movement named South Eastern Economic Bloc and with full blessing from a section of leaders opposed to Kalonzo has vowed to crisscross the three counties.
However, Kalonzo is not taking the matter lightly and has moved fast and hijacked its agenda as witnessed on his recent scheme to invite Uhuru in the region just like Raila Odinga did when he hosted the president for an extensive tour of Nyanza region. To remain ahead of the governors who have so far branded him anti- development, Kalonzo held a meeting last month at Komarock in Matungulu constituency where he once again sought to rally the community behind him.
Leaders were led into adopting a resolution declaring Kalonzo as the patron of economic bloc. The move, according to sources, was to put him above the three rebelling governors and place him in a better position when it comes on negotiations on behalf of Kambas.
The intended Uhuru visit has opened war pitting traditional Uhuru supporters in the region and the handshake team now led by Kalonzo himself. Uhuru and Jubilee allies now cry foul that State House has sidelined them and is busy listening to Kalonzo even when they stood with him for two subsequent elections when Kalonzo was fighting him. The leaders who are now furious with Uhuru have sought refuge at DP William Ruto’s office and have vowed to boycott the Uhuru tour if they are not fully involved during preparations.

Nzioka Waititu

The leaders who include former members of parliament and who lost their seats for going against the Nasa wave in the region now blame Nzioka Waita for their tribulations. They say Waita is using his powerful post and his closeness to the president to block their efforts to meet Uhuru and that he is leaning towards Kalonzo.
It is whispered that Nzioka is contemplating contesting the Machakos governor’s seat and is using his position to endear himself to Kalonzo. Initially, he used to take care of Governor Alfred Mutua’s interests at State House but due to the handshake, he is said to be courting Kalonzo. A buddy of Uhuru since their days at St Mary’s School, Nzioka is hardly known in Ukambani and wants to use Kalonzo to introduce him to Kambas just like he did to Mutua in the run-up to 2013 elections.
Leaders opposed to Kalonzo in Ukambani now accuse Waita of working for Kalonzo’s interests at State House by blocking anybody who has refused to toe his line from meeting Uhuru. The leaders cite a case where the three governors have failed to secure appointment with the president to discuss stalled projects in the region majority of which are being derailed by tender wars pitting contractors and state agencies.
The governors wanted to meet Uhuru on the status of the Sh64 billion dam funded by African Development Bank. The project has raised political heat in the region with governors accusing government of giving Kambas a raw deal on the sharing of works. The bank has so far released Sh27 million as the first batch.
Out of the amount, Sh11 billion was set aside for Kenyan contractors with Kamba contractors awarded works for Sh1.1 billion. The leaders say the amount is little and are demanding Sh5.5 billion be set for locals if at all they are going to support the project.
The leaders also cite flaws in compensation where up to date 189 families are yet to be compensated despite Sh 2.5 billion set aside for compensation.
The dam is set to provide water and power to the Vision 2030 Konza Technocity. Another mega project that has stalled is the proposed Kitui dam with tender wars taking centrestage. British firm GBM Engineering is battling over the control of the project with National Irrigation Board after the board interfered with the procedures aimed at locking the firm out in favour of a chinese one. The governors complain that Nzioka despite holding the docket that is responsible for delivering projects has done nothing help Kambas.

Ngumbau

The Uhuru tour which will also see him inspect construction of the ongoing Kibwezi-Kitui road will see him open the Machakos turnoff-Nairobi dual carriage that is now in its final stretch. However, pro-Uhuru leaders fear that the tour will be hijacked by Wiper now that it is playing a major role during preparations.
The preparations have also blocked pro-Ruto MPs in the region. The MPs have gone out to drum support for Ruto’s presidential bid against the wish of Kalonzo who views the DP as his rival for the presidential seat.
Ruto on his side is using tycoon Peter Muthoka as his pointman in the region. However, it remains to be seen which value Muthoka will add to DP’s camp considering that pro-Ruto MPs in the region are against his role as their spokesman.
Except Machakos town MP, Victor Munyaka, who is pro Muthoka , the rest have no time for him. Kamba MPs in Tanga Tanga team include Vincent Musyoka (Mwala), Fabian Kyule (Kangundo), Erastus Kivasu (Mbooni) and businessman Kennedy Ngumbau.
Nimrod Mbai of Kitui East initially belonged to team Ruto but has ditched the team and is now in Kalonzo camp.
Also joining Kalonzo camp is former MP Joe Mutambo. Another group that initially supported Jubilee has remained neutral since the handshake with some now courting Kalonzo.