Political realignments take shape in Ukambani – Weekly Citizen

A series of backroom events in the vast semiarid region of Ukambani in the past few months involving the three governors two of who are serving their final term point to a possible political realigment as the 2022 general elections draw closer.
Most if not all of the events, some of which do not attract media attention as governors Charity Ngilu of Kitui, Kivutha Kibwana, Makueni and Alfred Mutua, Machakos held several strategic meetings in the region have left observers and residents wondering as to which political direction the area would take to come the election day in 2022.

Governor Mutua

Barely a week after the dominant Wiper party in the region formally announced it had divorced Kibwana by replacing him with former Matuga MP Chirau Mwakwere as the party chairman, Kibwana according to those in the know is said to have held talks with emissaries of William Ruto, over a possible political alliance.
Inside sources told Weekly Citizen in confidence that the meetings between the former constitutional adviser of former president Mwai Kibaki and Ruto colleagues Stephen Sang who is Nandi senator and Paul Chekwony, Kericho discussed a workable strategy to penetrate Ukambani region currently the political bedrock of Kalonzo Musyoka which the DP appears to have given a wide berth since 2017 elections.
According to a close ally of Governor Kibwana, the former law don is rooting for the DP adding that they have been consulting since May this year and was categorical that he will be mobilising grassroot support for the DP across the region going forward.
Recently, Kibwana fell short of endorsing DP’s presidential bid when he joined him for the Turkana cultural festival hosted by Governor Josphat Nanok where he heaped praises on the DP as a man who all senior leaders in the country are ganging up against.
The law professor told the DP to his face that one thing he knew was that those with a mindset that Ruto could be taken for granted or does not matter at all in the country’s political matrix are utterly wrong and must therefore prepare for a rude shock come 2022.
Efforts to get the govenor for a comment were fruitless but an aide who appeared to hit hard at Wiper party leader told Weekly Citizen that the professor has a right like Kalonzo to vie for the presidency and he should therefore not be accused of spoiling for any one’s political ambitions.
At the same time several leaders at grassroots level across the vast region laughed off the idea of the governor rooting for DP Ruto and were clear that the Kamba community have resolved to vote as a block for the Wiper party leader.
They challenged the governor to first pause and handle his alleged identiy crisis and clarified that by all intents and purposes he must decide whether he wants to be the country’s president or Ruto’s running mate or chief campaigner.
They added that whatever decision he makes prior to 2022 must be in aligned to the decision of the community or he be rendered politically irrelevant in the region.
Like his Machakos counterpart Mutua who is doing final term has allegedly been meeting key leaders from various regions in the country under the guise of building bridges and marketing his Maendeleo Chap Chap party even as leaders across the political divide in the region poke holes in his leadership style.

Ngilu

Recently, he met ODM party Raila Odinga with whom, they discussed a wide range of issues including the building bridges initiative the proposed referendum to change the constitution and the 2022 succession politics.
Recently, their Kitui counterpart Charity Ngilu who has cast her lot with women lobby team allied to Kieleweke group backing the handshake and building bridges initiative where they demand gender balance in the proposed expanded executive if it sailed through is currently burning midnight oil to mend fences with Kalonzo lest she scuttles her gubernatorial bid come 2022.
However, political analysits and observers across the three counties are in agreement that whatever direction they decide to take it would be a tall order for them to realise their political ambitions outside Wiper party honchos.
Other key players are Kiema Kilonzo eyeing Kitui governorship. Senator Enock Wambua is close to Kalonzo. Former senator Johnson Muthama is rebranding himself a head of 2022.