•Kanu was moribund with neither an elected MCA nor MP.
• Interim Kitui Kanu boss was a chief officer in the administration of former Governor Malombe.
After years of deafening silence and inactivity, the independence party Kanu appears set to roar back to life in Kitui county.
Until last September, little was heard of the independence party as it was bereft of leadership from the grassroots to the county level. A few people, if any, dared to associate themselves with the party or openly proclaim membership.
However, a group of politicians, who are concerned about Kanu's absence in the local political arena, have bestowed themselves the responsibility of resuscitating the party. No member of the party was elected to any position in the last General Election.
"Kanu has a special place in our history. We, therefore, decided not to allow it to be wiped off the Kitui political landscape. We have taken upon ourselves the responsibility of giving Kanu a new lease of life in Kitui,” interim county chairperson Emma Kitemange said.
Kitemange, who between 2014 and 2016 served as the chief officer for culture in the administration of former Kitui Governor Julius Malombe, had kept out of the public limelight until last September when she was picked by fellow Kanu adherents to head its rejuvenation team.
The team faces a daunting task in increasing party presence as the majority of former members have joined other parties and moved on. However, Kitemange is optimistic that Kanu fortunes in Kitui will soon begin to change.
“Those who may have written Kanu off are in for a big shock. My team is on a mission to revamp Kanu and not only make it vibrant and popular through mass recruitment of members but also ensure it has a big following across the county,” she said.
Kitemange expressed confidence that her team of interim officials in all the eight subcounties of Kitui has what it takes to reclaim the party's lost glory. She said Kanu’s comeback is not far-fetched but admitted that the task won't be easy.
The prospects of reviving Kanu will no doubt give its remnant diehards something to celebrate about if the fresh efforts bear fruit. It will be like returning home after staying away for years, Kitemange said.
Many supporters left the party in droves after key politicians from the region, left by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, decamped ahead of the 2002 election, which ended Kanu's hold on to power since Independence. Kalonzo was a longtime Kanu organising secretary and at one time one of its four vice chairmen.
The political regrouping and alliance building of the late 1990s and early 2000 ate into the party's once vibrant following and near-fanatical support in Kitui. Its local leadership soon lost direction.
Among the big Kanu bigshots from Kitui who followed Kalonzo to the Liberal Democratic Party, Orange Democratic Party-Kenya and later Wiper Democratic Movement included former ministers Nyiva Mwendwa, George Ndotto, and the late Francis Nyenze. Others are former Kitui Senator David Musila.
As Kitemange was installed as the interim county chairperson in September, the immediate former MCA for Kyamatu ward Nzyoni Mangue was picked as vice chairman. Nicodemus Kyai and Rhoda Mutinda became secretary and women league leader respectively.
“It is the remaining Kanu members whom I am keen to gather together with the help of my team to ensure we form a formidable force. We are on a mission to ensure Kanu has a strong imprint in all corners of Kitui again as we embark on recruiting new members,” the chairperson said.
She was optimistic that come 2022, Kanu wild field MCA and MP candidates. Kitemange said he is no stranger to Kanu politics even though she had previously preferred to take a back seat.
“I was deep in the thick of things when President Uhuru Kenyatta and former powerful Minister Nicholas Biwott fought for Kanu chairmanship. I backed and vigorously campaigned for the Uhuru Kenyatta camp that carried the day,” she said.
Kitemange her efforts will also help her fulfil the wish of her late father, Kitemange Ndema, who was a staunch supporter of Kanu and former President Daniel Moi. Her father was nominated as a Kanu councillor.
“My father’s love for Kanu drove me into becoming a Kanu life member. Personally, I want to see his party bubbling again in Kitui through my efforts and in his honour,” she said.
Kitemange makes history as the second woman to lead Kanu in Kitui after Nyiva Mwendwa, who succeeded Ndotto during chaotic polls presided over by the late William ole Ntimama in the 1990s.