They say in politics there are no permanent enemies, and no permanent friends, only permanent interests.
The story is true of Raila Odinga’s once fierce critic turned bosom friend Maina Kamanda, a one-man army seeking to turn Mount Kenya in Raila's favour
Kamanda, a veteran city politician is today the only trusted Raila’s commander in the vote-rich Central Kenya at a time a number of his colleagues from the area appeared to be developing cold feet.
The lawmaker whose relationship with Raila over the years has been marked by strong loathe is now winning the heart of the opposition chief which has put him in Raila’s inner circle.
In 2019, the politician broke ranks with his Jubilee party and successfully supported Raila’s candidate in the Kibra by-elections.
Not long ago - before the handshake - Kamanda and Raila were not seeing eye-eye and on several occasions at crossroads over Nairobi politics.
On Thursday, Makadara MP George Aladwa who jointly chairs Nairobi BBI team described Kamanda as a reliable team player.
“He is good man, he is 100 per cent loyal to our course and to the two principals,” Aladwa said.
He added: “He has served both Kibaki and Uhuru’s administration with great commitment and he is a top city politician who knows how to navigate the murky city politics. His loyalty is not in doubt.”
Kamanda came to the political limelight in 1979 when he was elected a Councillor representing Ngara Ward. He retained his seat at the City hall in the 1992 polls.
In the 1997 elections, he successfully contested the Starehe Constituency and served for two terms before losing to Margaret Wanjiru in 2007 elections.
Between 2004 and 2005 he served as Assistant Minister for Local Government in retired President Mwai Kibaki’s administration before he was appointed Cabinet Minister for Sports and Gender from 2005 to 2007.
He bounced back in the 2013 elections and served for another term as Starehe representative, losing the seat in the 2017 election to the current MP Charles Kanyi.
He has not only supported the opposition chief from his comfort zone but even braved the recent skirmishes in Githurai market where Raila was met by anti-BBI youths who attempted to disrupt his entourage.
Just like Jubilee Vice Chairman David Murathe, Kamanda has on several occasions endorsed Raila’s 2022 candidacy.
From the long list of Raila’s Mt Kenya troop, only Kamanda has remained steadfast and is fashioning himself as the face of the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga in the vote-rich region.
Last year, the former Starehe MP hosted Raila at his rural home in Ol Kalou, a meeting that was attended by bigwigs from the Kikuyu community.
Among the high profile attendees were Governors Francis Kimemia (Nyandarua), Kiraitu Murungi (Meru), Martin Wambora (Embu), James Nyoro (Kiambu), Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga), National Assembly Majority leader Amos Kimunya, former presidential candidate Peter Kenneth, Jubilee vice-chairman David Murathe and a host of MPs and Senators.
The veteran politician was again at Raila’s Opoda home in Bondo when over 500 Kikuyu elders paid a visit to the opposition leader late last year.
