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A ten-man race is in the offing in Kilome constituency in which the incumbent, Mr John Mutinda Mutiso, and Mrs Regina Muia Ndambuki will be fighting for supremacy.

Mr John Harun Mwau has kept Kilome people guessing for the last three years but he could tilt the scales if he joins the race.

Mr Mutiso beat Mr Mwau by a large margin to win the 2002 General Election and the latter has since kept an unusual silence.

But people who claim to know Mr Mwau well are sending feelers that the Party of Independence Candidates of Kenya (Pick) boss may enter the race.

Already miniature coloured posters associated with Mr Mwau and bearing the words Osa Vinya Mukamba (Take courage Kamba) have been distributed in most parts of Kilome.

If indeed Mr Mwau joins the race, then his entry will definitely complicate matters.

Other aspirants are: Mr Joseph Malu, Mr Muema Musili, senior executive with Marshal East Africa Joseph Kimau, Mr Mutua Kasevo, Mr Musyoki Kateo, Mr John Mutuku Maweu and former district officer Sam Muema Muli, now working with the National Social Security Fund in Nyeri.

A commissioner with the Public Service Commission, Mr Lancaster Nzioka, is the latest entry in the race.

Mr Mutiso’s critics claim his performance is wanting and are scheming to give another candidate a chance.

They think Mr Mwau should be considered after being denied the chance in 2002 when he vied for the seat on a Kanu ticket.

Mr Mwau is known for flashy campaigns rarely seen in rural Kilome. In the last campaigns, he used helicopters and hi-tech satellite phones.

Prior to the 2002 polls, he had initiated several water projects and single-handedly financed electricity supply to some parts of Kilome Division, especially in Kasikeu market.

Despite his past high profile campaigns, Mr Mwau may find the scenario different from 2002.

There are different players with different appeals who have emerged.

But Mr Mwau has the style and the means to turn things to his advantage.

The other frontrunner, Mrs Ndambuki, first made her serious public appearance last year when ODM Kenya presidential candidate Kalonzo Musyoka was visiting the constituency.

Attracted attention

The differences between Mr Mutiso and Mrs Ndambuki has attracted the attention of the Liberal Democratic Party and by extension the ODM-K top brass.

During the LDP branch elections, Mr Mutinda and Mrs Ndambuki held separate elections with each declaring his/her faction victor.

The LDP headquarters later declared Mrs Ndambuki’s faction the winner, much to the disappointment of Mr Mutiso.

The battle between the two has attracted the attention of Mr Musyoka who last year urged Mrs Ndambuki to go slow on Kilome and to support Mr Mutiso.

Mr Mutiso and Mr Musyoka are close buddies and even the latter was the best man in the MP’s wedding in 2003.

The MP has shrugged off his opponents, arguing that “elections would not be held tomorrow” and things will change as the polls date gets closer.

He even suggested the administration should leave his opponents to sell their policies in the area freely.

Mr Mutiso, 39, entered Parliament in 2001 through a by-election occasioned by the death of MP Tony Ndilinge.

He was re-elected in 2002 General Election and become the deputy Government Chief Whip.

Major issues

He has remained non-controversial on major issues especially in ODM-K where he has avoided taking an open stand.

This has made his critics claim he is possibly warming up to the Government side and Narc Kenya.

President Kibaki’s visit to the constituency last year was preceded by rumours that Mr Mutiso would defect, but he got wind of it and set the record straight when he spoke.

He has been campaigning in the constituency defending his CDF projects.

But as the MP has been trumpeting his development record, Mrs Ndambuki has been running a parallel “CDF’ whose money appear to be growing with each passing day.

She has good relationship with some well-placed individuals who have over the years been supportive of her in matters involving development.

Using her own resources, she has seen the completion of the Kautandini-Maviye water project that covers a distance of 10 kilometres as well as the 12-kilometre Kiima Kiu-Maiani water project.

She has also undertaken education projects and helped to repair roads in the area.

She says she is not going into politics for money, but to make a mark.

She believes that if she is elected, there will be something to talk about in Kilome in terms of poverty eradication and creation of employment by the end of the first five years.

Mr Malu’s entry has added some spice and rekindled old memories that still linger in the minds of old voters.

Mr Malu is the son of one time MP and influential politician, Mr Mbolu Malu, now deceased.

Political rivals

The senior Malu and Mr Mutiso’s father Mathew Mutiso Uvyu, also deceased, were politicians whose rivalry dominated the politics of Kilome in the 1960s and 1970s.

Mr Malu, who is an accountant, says the sitting MP has failed to show Kilome people the way forward and has alienated himself from the constituents.

Mr Muli has mainly been involved in youth leadership, community development and counselling where he is using the evangelical inter-faith organisation called Hosanna, in which he is the chairman, to help improve the socio-economic welfare of Kilome residents.

He has formed a lobby group in the constituency which is questioning the use of CDF money in sponsoring what he calls white elephants (projects).

Mr Kimau, who is among the founder members of the original Ford, and has a rapport with Lang’ata MP Raila Odinga.

His supporters indicate that he is waiting for the political scenario in the ODM-K top leadership to unfold before coming out forcefully to try and capture the seat, which has eluded him for the last three consecutive elections.

Mr Nzioka is a retired director of Directorate of Personnel Management and has already identified himself with a number of projects in the constituency aimed at alleviating poverty in the region.

Man to beat

Despite the formidable opposition, Mr Mutiso remains the man to beat in Kilome.

The MP has a unique style of campaigning where he splits his constituency into small cells with each unit having about 50 people.

You may not see him in public or organising open meetings but every week, he makes sure that he visits the cells.

The cells proved effective in his last two campaigns and it will not be a surprise if he is again voted in as the area MP.