Loaded MCA gives city MP a run for his money

A first-term senator from a region controlled by Deputy President William Ruto’s UDA has run out of cash. He claims to have splashed Sh50 million in two weeks. He has now reached out to his governor, who is also seeking to retain his seat, for financial support. Ironically, the senator has been the governor’s fiercest critic, often accusing him of embezzling public funds. Through emissaries, he has pledged to publicly declare his support for the county chief if he agrees to bankroll his campaigns ahead of the party primaries on Thursday.

An MP from Nyanza is in a serious political mess. The politician's bid to defend his seat on a fringe party has hit a snag after the leader of the briefcase outfit revoked his nomination certificate at the last minute. The law bars him from running on another political party ticket. There are reports that the lawmaker was swindled out of a lot of money by the party boss, who is said to be struggling financially. With the party ticket and given that the outfit is allied to Azimio La Umoja Movement, the politician would have battled on near level playing ground with his rival. Will he manage to trounce a rival in a dominant political party if he runs as an independent? Only time will tell.

How did he get all that cash? That is the question a second-term MP in Nairobi was heard asking his handlers after his competitor, a first-term MCA, appeared to overpower him financially. The youthful MCA has been splashing cash on residents, most of whom live from hand to mouth. Last week, he distributed more than 200 motorbikes, making him a household name in a constituency that is largely a slum. The MCA has no known business. The MP now plans to paint the MCA as a corrupt leader but his handlers have warned that this may backfire as the ward rep has portrayed himself as a kind leader who listens to his people.

A former civil servant who resigned to plunge into politics in a county in Nyanza has been left stranded. A political party on whose ticket he wanted to try his luck picked a minnow and handed him a direct ticket despite the ex-civil servant having spent millions popularising the outfit in his constituency. The politician, who is making a political debut, is said to have quietly obtained a ticket from a small party and might just give his rivals a run for their money in the parliamentary contest. The politician is known to have deep pockets and is wealthy in his own right.

 

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