Kitui veterans line up to dethrone Ngilu

At least four Kitui politicians have announced they will seek to dethrone Governor Charity Ngilu.

More than one and half years to the 2022 General Election, those salivating for the county top seat and the 474,512 votes have publicly expressed their interest in the governor seat.

And now, like all good politicians, they have become regular visitors to funerals, church services and fundraisers to win hearts, souls and votes of the electorate.

Like incumbent Ngilu, who is on her first term, most of those seeking to replace her are seasoned politicians and household names.

They include former Kitui Governor Julius Makau Malombe, who lost to Ngilu in 2017 and ex-Senator David Musila, who abandoned the senatorial seat in 2017 to take an unsuccessful shot at the governor's seat.

Like Malombe, he was trashed at the polls, coming in second. Malombe finished third.

Another candidate is Julius Kiema Kilonzo, Kenya’s high commissioner to Uganda. He is a former Kitui East MP and lost his bid 2013 for the governor's seat.

Former Nairobi Deputy Governor Jonathan Mueke, who served under Governor Evans Kidero from 2013 to 2017, has shifted base from Nairobi and is gunning for the top job in his home county.

And, although Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua has not announced his intention to run, according to the grapevine, he would well be in the race.

Wambua is said to be very shrewd and strategic, awaiting the best time to make his announcement.

Given Malombe and Musila suffered humiliating defeats in 2017, Governor Ngilu is unlikely to suffer sleepless nights about their candidacies, which her handlers expect to be repeat losses.

To Ngilu’s political advisers, Mueke’s entry into the race is not a big deal. They say he is not well-known and will have to do a lot more to sell himself  to the people and make any impact on the election equation.

Senator Wambua,a former journalist, has tried to parry allegations he is interested in Ngilu's job, but he has publicly said all elective seats would be up for grabs.

Some time back Ngilu alleged that Wambua was covertly undermining her administration because he wanted the seat.

Wambua hit back, saying the only seat for which he would be ineligible would be that of woman representative. That was as close as he came to declaring his interest in the top county seat.

Ngilu says she has effectively fulfilled her campaign pledges and five-point manifesto to the people of Kitui, despite rivals saying she has not delivered. She wants to complete the job in a second term.

The pillars of Ngilu’s manifesto were ensuring enough water and food security; accessible and affordable healthcare for all, education and youth development, women empowerment and wealth creation.

Late last year, Ngilu hosted Devolution CS Eugene Wamalma to commission the Kew Ndaki water project in Kitui South.

During the launch, she expressed concern that some men had ganged up to remove her from office.

She beseeched the electorate to protect her against the onslaught by rejecting the men and reelecting her because she has completed her part of the bargain and met her campaign pledges.

Ngilu has been credited with Kitui Textile Centre, which has created jobs and played a key role in producing Covid-19 response equipment such as face masks and PPE. 

Last year, she launched a manmade beach on a manmade lake for boating, kayaking, jet skiing and fun in the sun. The Kalundu Eco Park in Kitui town, she said, will provide business opportunities and jobs.

Among the challenges she faces is the green grams project that seems to have flopped. In October 2017, Ngilu launched what she called the Ndengu Revolution.

The aim of the Sh100 million programme was to make green grams Kitui’s key cash crop to help end the cycle of hunger and create wealth for residents.

But the rains were inadequate and discouraged many farmers from planting the seeds. The few who planted, got little or no yield as their crop withered prematurely.

And even when there was a bumper harvest in the following season, the promised market was not available as there was a glut on the market. 

Ngilu also wants to exploit coal in the Mui Basin but there has been considerable local opposition; the situation remains unclear.

BBI ALTERNATIVES

Ngilu appears, however, to be torn between seeking reelection and seeking a higher national office available, if the Building Bridges initiative referendum passes and creates an expanded Executive.

Last year, she told a KTN talk show that she could seek a national seat preserved for women under BBI.

However, if Ngilu seeks reelection, she will have to answer rivals who say she has not done enough to alleviate socioeconomic problems in the county.

Her competitors cite water scarcity, better access to better healthcare, economic empowerment and preventing plunder of public resources meant for development.

Malombe and Musila were not convinced that they lost fair and square to Ngilu in 2017. They say her performance has not been good and they are asking voters to reject her in 2022 so they can get better services.

Malombe said in an interview last week that although Kitui people want him back as governor, he loathed a scenario in which Kitui was turned into an early electioneering mode long before August 2022.

He said he would wait before full-out campaigning but said his development record as Ngilu's predecessor spoke for itself.

Musila also cites what he calls an excellent development record when he served as Mwingi South MP for three terms and as a senator for one term.

“The Kitui electorate is unhappy with the incumbent’s development record with many unfulfilled promises. The health sector is in shambles,” Musila said.

He pledged to ensure balanced, countywide development and prudent spending.

Youthful Mueke is banking on the support of young people to win the Kitui' governor's seat. He says it's time the voice of the youth was projected by having one of their own in the top job.

“I am driven because I have have the capacity to solve the perennial water shortage and make water accessible to all. I have the experience to create jobs, especially for young people. And I know how to provide services that will better the lives of our people in Kitui,” Mueke said.

Kilonzo, who served as Kitui East MP, says he is well-known across the county and could easily be elected governor.

His political strategists are selling him on social media as "the governor who is in the hearts of the Kitui people."

With such smart and experienced rivals, Ngilu has reason to worry, but too many competitors could work to her advantage by splitting the vote, leaving her the lion's share in 2022.