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More people have joined the race for the Nakuru Town, Kibwezi, Tigania West and Ntonyiri parliamentary seats.

Mr John Kimanthi Maingi will be vying against Kibwezi MP Kalembe Ndile, while Mr Madaraka Paul Mwithaga is seeking to unseat Mr William Kariuki in Nakuru Town.

Mr Wallace Mwongera Gichunge has entered the race for Ntonyiri constituency, which is currently held by Mr Maoka Maore.

Dr Mathiu John Kaugiria will be contesting against Education assistant minister Kilemi Mwiria in Tigania West.

Mr Mwithaga, 41, is going for the seat at one time held by his father, Mr Mark Mwithaga.

He has been extremely busy in the town trying to build his own network and revisiting his father’s connections in the constituency to boost his chances of inheriting his father’s seat.

Mr Mwithaga will be seeking the Narc Kenya nomination.

This will pit him against the incumbent, ill Mr Kariuki, and several other politicians.

He first plunged into politics among a group of youths calling themselves the Young Democrats, who campaigned vigorously for President Kibaki during the 1997 elections on the Democratic Party ticket.

Poverty and water

Mr Maingi is a businessman criticises Mr Ndile of failing to address poverty and lack of water in the constituency.

He is campaigning on the platform of addressing it plus bursaries to avoid the current high school drop out rate.

He says if elected, he will help to empower the people using locally available resources.

Mr Gichunge, 33, is a communications consultant who says he will, if elected, seek to encourage all shades of opinion in the constituency.

The hopeful argues that doing this will most probably help to remove the culture of personality worship which, he notes, is currently prevailing in the area.

His priorities, he adds, will be to address the serious water shortage, poor infrastructure and falling education standards.

The hopeful also intends to look beyond the Constituency Development Fund and raise more money as well as seek donor partnership in initiating poverty reduction projects.

He is appealing to the youth for support.

Dr Kaugiria, will be vying in Tigania West on a Narc ticket.

A veterinarian, he has vast experience in the civil service, having served in the ministry of Livestock Development for more than 10 years.

He is associated himself with the politics of the larger Tigania since 1974, and has has been supporting candidates who ultimately made it to Parliament.

The creation of Bungoma West district seems to be changing Foreign Affairs assistant minister Moses Wetang’ula’s political fortunes in this constituency by the day. He is preparing to defend the seat with the number of possible opponents already about 10.

Mr Wetang’ula’s political future is under threat as a controversy rages over the new district headquarters.

It is an extremely emotive issue as the location has annoyed the people of Sirisia and Malakisi, his strongholds.

They had preferred Sirisia market, arguing that it has the necessary infrastructure, and that even the district officer’s lived there.

But the MP sided with the people of Chwele and Nalondo divisions who previously did not support him, and backed Chwele. And now Mr Wetang’ula is walking a tightrope as he tries to strike a balance between his traditional backers and his previous detractors.

It is probably for this reason that the late entry of Imenti South district commissioner Joseph Satia, a close relative of Mr Wetang’ula’s, into the race is raising eye-brows.

Then there is businessman Emmanuel Tiboti who is shifting his base from Kanduyi whose seat he contested and lost in 2002.

Complicated matters

Mr Satia’s case is particularly critical for the MP as the two politicians are of the Babutu clan of Nalondo. They will then split the home votes and compete for the others in the rest of the constituency.

Mr Satia recently went public to declare that his rise in the provincial administration was hindered by Mr Wetang’ula until Trade minister Mukhisa Kituyi intervened to have him appointed DC, sparking a clan row that is still raging.

Addressing a rally at Nalondo in the presence of Dr Kituyi, he fired salvos at the MP whom he termed elitist with no time for the poor, and urged the voters to bring about change. That is when he declared that he is in the race.

It is probably for reason that the late entry of Imenti South DC Joseph Satia, a close relative of Mr Wetang’ula, into the race is raising eye-brows.

It has complicated matters for the MP, especially when it is considered that the two are from Babutu clan in Nalondo division.

They will then split the home vote and compete to share the rest of the constituency.

Mr Satia recently went public claiming that his rise in the provincial administration was hindered by Mr Wetang’ula until Dr Kituyi intervened to have him appointed DC sparking off a clan row that is still raging to date. Addressing a rally at Nalondo in the presence of Dr Kituyi, Mr Satia fired salvos at the sitting MP whom he termed elitist with no time for the poor while urging voters to bring about change. That is when he stated he was in the race to succeed Mr Wetang’ula.

Mr Tiboti who is from Musese, near Chwele market, is running on a Kanu ticket and counting on the support of his Batukwika clan.

He caused quite a stir last month when he donated money and materials to several schools in the division.

But although he is considered by the local political observers as a spoiler, he could help to deny Mr Wetang’ula the crucial votes.

Sirisia is made up of Chwele, Malakisi, Nalondo and Sirisia divisions, and has the largest number of poor people, estimated by the Central Bureau of Statistics at 114,470.

Sirisia and Malakisi were once famous for tobacco, cotton and coffee growing, but the collapse of the cotton subsector and low earnings from tobacco and coffee have largely contributed to poverty.

The failure by the political leadership to address the residents’ agricultural predicament is a hot election issue.

And although the local ginnery was expected to be operational by 2004 through the revival of the Malaba-Malakisi ginnery and cotton cooperative societies, this has yet to happen.

Even the much touted farm credit merchandise scheme as well as the small-scale processing and manufacturing plants projects have not taken off.

Water supply projects, particularly at Old Kibichori, Chwele, Ng’oli, Namwela-Chesabiti and Lwandanyi, as well as the Namwela-Sirisia-Lwakhakha road are other issues the residents will be raising.

Mr Wetang’ula has held the seat for only a term, having beaten Mr John Barasa Munyasia for the Narc nomination in 2002.

Mr Munyasia had beaten him in 1997 when he (Wetang’ula) stood on a Kanu ticket after serving one term in Parliament as a nominated MP.

But at the last election, the assistant minister got the support of Vice-President Michael Wamalwa to win both the nomination and the election.

In 1997, he was appointed as chairman of the Electricity Board, but shifted loyalty to Ford Kenya ahead of 2002, and this enabled him to get the Narc nod.

Another possible candidate, Mr John Waluke, has moved to exploit the headquarters issue to his advantage by mobilising against the MP residents Malakisi and Sirisia divisions who are opposed to Chwele.

It is worth noting that Mr Waluke at one time served as the MP’s campaign chief before they fell out.

On February 10, the hopeful led hundreds of former Ford Kenya supporters to defect to Narc Kenya at the Mayuba stadium, and they were received by the party’s interim secretary-general, Dr Kituyi.

He followed this by being elected Sirisia branch Narc-K chairman.

Mr Wetang’ula who is expected to clinch the Ford Kenya ticket, is counting on support from Chwele and Nalondo residents to retain the seat, but he seems to have quite a battle on his hands.

Another candidate

The votes in two divisions could be split further by yet another candidate, Mr Peter Kokonya, who does not see eye to eye with Mr Wetang’ula. Although he is yet to state clearly on which party ticket he will run, Mr Kokonya has been on the ground canvassing for votes.

Mr Eric Makokha and Mr Hudson Masambu are also in the race on the Narc Kenya ticket. Even at the party level, Mr Wetang’ula is not likely to have smooth sailing following the entry into the fray of Mr Mark Wanjala Barasa. Mr Barasa, a Kenya Revenue Authority employee in Mombasa who is from Khachonge in Nalondo, says Sirisia needs a change of guard.

“My party of choice is Ford Kenya, and I will be challenging Mr Wetang’ula for the ticket, but if rigged out I will consider other options,” he said when he declared his candidacy in March.

Slow implementation of the rural electrification programme, particularly in the border town of Lwakhakha, is likely to be another campaign issue. Poor sugarcane producer prices, especially in Nalondo where most farmers are contracted to the Nzoia Sugar Company, is another.

The growers have always demanded that the Government subsidise the cost of farm inputs, particularly seed cane and fertilizer, but their MPs have not raised the matter in Parliament.

All in all, Mr Waluke will have to contend with opposition from only Mr Masambu for the Sirisia division bloc vote, while Mr Wetang’ula will split that of Nalondo and Chwele, with his many rivals seeking to make his re-election a close call indeed.

The battle line has been drawn between Livestock and Fisheries minister Joseph Konzolo Munyao and nominated MP Mutula Kilonzo in a field pitting youthful politicians against the old and the middle-aged.

Mr Munyao is facing strong opposition from Mr Kilonzo, the ODM Kenya team leader who is venturing into competitive politics for the first time.

Mbooni in Makueni district is among the oldest in the region, but it is perhaps the most stagnated in development.

It has one of the worst roads in Ukambani, yet it has some of the best brains in the area.

It is the only region in Ukambani in which residents do not pray for rain, yet when it pours, they are cut off from the rest of the world as the roads become impassable.

The constituency has many sources of fresh water, especially from its hilly terrain, yet this resource is yet to be harnessed for domestic use, making potable water a mere pipe-dream.

It is this underdevelopment that is used as a weapon during election time to fight the sitting MP.

Mr Kilonzo, a lawyer by profession, has had his image and ego boosted by his active participation in the ODM-K politics which saw him appointed team leader.

This is a position he has used to his advantage by selling himself to the people.

He has endeared himself to the residents by organising high-profile fund-raising meetings to aid poor university students and women’s groups.

Besides, he aligns himself to ODM-K presidential hopeful Kalonzo Musyoka who supporting his bid for the seat.

Although he might have Mr Musyoka’s backing, Mr Kilonzo is likely to find the going tough against a team of hopefuls who have made it known that they will fight him and Mr Munyao to the bitter end to deny them the seat.

But recent developments in ODM-K do not seem to augur well for Mr Kilonzo. He is a Kanu nominated MP and therefore bonded by the party’s recent development in which it is yet to state clearly its clear position in the coalition.

This puts him in a dilemma as he is torn between Kanu and his friend, Mr Musyoka, whom he is eyeing the ODM-K presidential nomination.

Leading the pack of opponents is retired Narok Teachers College principal Joseph Mulei Musya — Health minister Charity Ngilu’s younger brother — Mr Ngotho Kasyoki, Mr Jackson Wambua and journalist Nicky Waita.

Also in the race is a son of Mr Kisoi Munyao — the independence hero who climbed to the peak of Mt Kenya hoist the national flag — Mr Michael Kisoi Munyao, and Mr Obadiah Musyimi Mulwa.

Other candidates are Mr Pius Kithome Pinkerton, city businessman Erastus Nzioka, Mr Mutua Mutyeia, Dr Kavini Ndambuki, Mr Stephen Kimondi, Mr Patrick Munguti, Mr George Mbate and Mr George Kavyu.

Leading women candidates is retired public health nursing tutor Esther Mueni Ngumbi, Ms Anastasia M. Ngambi and Mrs Esther Kiamba.

Mr Musya enjoys support on the ground because, unlike other politicians who retreated to urban areas after losing the 2002 election, he has remained in rural Mbooni to continue with quiet campaigns.

He was rewarded when soon after his unsuccessful parliamentary bid, he was elected chairman of the Kikima farmers cooperative society by an overwhelming majority.

His leadership qualities were seen when he helped to reduce the society’s debts from Sh32 million to Sh8 million by last year.

Mr Musya says Mbooni needs a new brand of leaders, and accuses past MPs of having nothing to show for their representation.

“As much as we respect our MP for having represented Mbooni for three terms, we feel he has done little that people can be proud of,” he says.

Mr Kasyoki recently told Mr Musyoka publicly to stop supporting Mr Kilonzo and appoint him attorney-general if he becomes president.

The hopeful who is yet to resign from his East African Portland cement company job, blames previous MPs for Mbooni’s underdevelopment.

Mr Wambua who has opted for early retirement to venture into politics says, the voters have been taken for a ride since independence in 1963.

Mr Wambua who is from Mbanya sublocation, has joined the race forcefully and is being viewed as among the serious challengers.

He describes himself as a visionary leader, and has already prepared a development blueprint, which includes poverty reduction, building of roads, improving health facilities and the provision of clean water in his first two years if elected.

He accuses Mr Munyao of channelling Constituency Development Fund money to areas that do not benefit the residents, such as a social hall in each location.

Mr Waita who has worked with the Presidential Press Service and the latest entry to the growing list of hopefuls, claims that he used his position during President Moi’s reign to influence projects like the 6.4km Mulima-Kitoo road, the local rural electrification project currently going on in parts of the constituency as well as the coming to Mbooni of a number of micro-finance services.

He vows, if elected, to help physically disabled children and ensure that water and other social amenities are available in Mbooni.

Mr Munyao, 34, who moved mourners in a speech during his father’s burial about three months ago, could be the first candidate from the very populous Kisau division.

He hopes to capitalise on this numerical strength. Currently, he is the regional director of the Foundation for Youth on Development in Africa, which draws membership from 11 countries.

He is also the chairman of the Kenya Youth Education School Fund, which to date has donated more than Sh5 million to local poor students.

The hopeful says Mbooni needs youthful and pragmatic leaders who are always accessible to the electorate.

Mr Mulwa, 33, is another the young possible candidate from Tulimani location, and he is a transporter and real estate developer.

He is among a group of young leaders supporting Mr Musyoka and has in his campaigns tried to win the youthful voters.

Mrs Ngambi says male leaders have had their time and let the people down in the process.

“We have had men who appeared to be of substance before they entered Parliament, but the moment they were in that August house they closed their ears and eyes to the realities facing the people who elected them; why give them another chance; it is time for women leaders?” she says.

Former MP Fredrick Kalulu is said to be considering joining the race. And if he does, he will be the only politician in Eastern province to have contested each parliamentary election since independence.

In his hey-day, Mr Kalulu was a classy politician and once campaigned by helicopter and on horseback.

All in all, dethroning Mr Munyao may not be so easy. His name is synonymous with the Mbooni politics, and he is among President Kibaki’s pointmen in the region.

The resurrection of the Democratic Party of Kenya (DP), fuelled by the controversial Narc Kenya grassroots elections in Laikipia West constituency, has tilted the scales a bit against the incumbent Mr G G Kariuki.

Recently, the aspirants for the seat, jointly with 23 civic hopefuls, conducted grassroots elections to revitalise the party. This was seen as a reaction to the Narc-K elections in which Mr Kariuki and his supporters clinched all the posts amid allegations of irregularities.

The DP members took this step in an apparent move to lock out Mr Kariuki and perhaps confine him in Narc-K.

Re-election bid

However, DP and Narc-K have announced their support for President Kibaki and his re-election bid.

The President formed DP on Christmas Day of 1991 and the party has made it known that he is welcome to run for a second term on its ticket. Narc-K has extended a similar invitation to him.

Twelve aspirants, including Mr Kariuki’s nephew Mr Peter Thome, are seeking to oust him. Others are former MP Mr Chege Mbitiru, Mr Peter Mumo Gathuru and Mr Kung’u Kihika, a son of former MP the late Kihika Kimani.

Others hopefuls are: Mr Peter Mumo, Mr Martin Kiruthu, Mr Dominic Oseko, Mr David Kamunya, Dr Stanley Kabugi, Mr Michael Mugo and Mr Nderitu Muriithi.

Ms Eunice Muthoni is the only woman in the race. She is the local DP branch treasurer.

Dr Kabugi is the party’s branch secretary while Mr Muriithi is the assistant treasurer.

The decision by the aspirants to hold joint rallies has re-ignited some interest in the party among the residents.

But the voters do not seem to be interested in parties but in a leader who is able to bring them development and peace.

The MP is banking on his development record.

Mr Kariuki, who was first area MP in 1963, has dismissed DP as a dead party which has no room in Laikipia politics.

He has ensured that the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) money is used to establish dispensaries, maternity wings, water projects and police posts.

These projects have used Sh86 million out of the Sh117 million allocated to the constituency in the last three financial years.

Mr Mbitiru, who beat Mr Kariuki in 1997 and lost to him in 2002, is bracing for another showdown.

In 1997, Mr Kariuki vied on Kanu ticket. Kanu was unpopular in Central Province at the time. He reclaimed it on a Narc ticket in 2002.

The MP’s critics blame him for failing to reconcile the communities living in the area.

Mr Oseko claims that the MP has failed to initiate reconciliation talks between Samburu and Pokot herdsmen, who have been battling over pasture in parts of Ol Moran and Rumuruti divisions.

The aspirants say that Mr Kariuki’s style of leadership has created division among local leaders and consequently affected development.

Vision to unite

DP branch chairman and Nyahururu mayor Mr John Muritu says the residents want a new leader with a vision to unite leaders and people across the political and tribal divides.

He says Mr Kariuki has failed to unite people by putting people from one community in the constituency development committee.

Ms Muthoni, who has been addressing meetings in every division seeking to clinch the DP ticket, says Mr Kariuki has nothing new to offer to the area residents since he has had four decades to serve the people.

While the DP candidate will be directly elected by the people through secret ballot, Narc-K’s flag-bearer is Mr Kariuki.

Wrangling in the Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya is giving Vice-President Moody Awori a life line in Funyula constituency.

The VP has coined a new slogan — AK lelo luno muli nafue — meaning Awori and Kibaki, today is the day, are you with us?

He is going around holding harambees for schools and churches in a renewed flashy campaign to drum up support for himself and President Kibaki — thanks to the on-going confusion in ODM-K.

When the Sunday Nation kicked off this series with Funyula last March, the VP’s rating was so low; even his critics had begun celebrating his possible exit. Now, he is in the constituency every weekend.

Then came last week’s shifting of alliances by Dr Julia Ojiambo. By welcoming ODM-K presidential aspirant Mr Kalonzo Musyoka to her Labour Party of Kenya,

Dr Ojiambo, was seen as running away from another Mr Raila Odinga who is the pillar of the Orange group.

She is herself an ODM-K presidential hopeful.

If there is any politician Dr Ojiambo needs to win the Funyula seat, it is Mr Odinga.

Uncle Moody, as Mr Awori is popularly known, has moved fast to capitalise on Dr Ojiambo’s blunder.

He is back with his lelo luno clarion call whipping up support towards the homestretch.

But the VP should still expect stiff competition from his arch-rival Dr Paul Otuoma.

Others are Mr Edward Mudibo, formerly of Kenya Union of Co-operatives, Mr Levis Majale, who runs a chain of pharmaceutical outlets in Nairobi, Mr Patrick Afande and Mr Mathias Ogama.

Mr Afande and Mr Ogama are seeking the ODM-K party ticket while Dr Ojiambo could choose to vie on her LPK ticket or line up in the ODM-K.

But it is the shifting of alliance in ODM-K that could easily boost Mr Awori’s chances of retaining the seat.

In the confusion, party supporters are getting disillusioned. And unless they put their houses in order soon, ODM-K leaders could squander the goodwill they enjoyed on the ground.

Mr Awori has now capitalised on the wrangles and he keeps on telling the electorate that they either choose development or retrogression.

He is pleading with voters to give him another chance to complete development projects that he has initiated.

ODM-K candidates in Funyula started their campaigning on a high note. They presented a united front but later started to fight over the control of the party in the constituency, leading to two parallel offices. One side was led by Dr Ojiambo and another by the Otuoma-Ogama-Majale-Afande axis.

Mr Awori says that he is determined to re-capture the seat he snatched from Dr Ojiambo more than two decades ago and is dismissing those saying he is too old.

He insists that he is still strong and energetic to have another five years.

While voters may warm up to him as an individual, his biggest challenge remains on how to market his party, Narc-K and counter the ODM-K wave. ODM-K still has more supporters than Narc-K in Funyula. The VP is the latter’s deputy leader.

The VP’s close allies are, however, confident that even though Narc-K may not be the party of choice in Funyula constituency the electorate may vote for Mr Awori purely as a person due to his campaign strategies that he has put in place.

Mr Awori has also the task of having to pull youths closer to him. Most of them are jobless and blame him for not assisting them to secure jobs despite his being VP. Mr Awori has changed tact as well. He is using delegations to his Funyula home to send a strong message that the VP’s post is a coveted position.

He is telling his constituents to either vote for him or see the motorcade taken elsewhere in case President Kibaki wins a second term.

His Cabinet colleagues who have visited Funyula constituency on many occasions have told the gatherings that if he is re-elected, Mr Awori will remain President Kibaki’s principal assistant.

The VP hosted Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni recently at his Funyula residence. Mr Museveni’s visit to the constituency presented an opportunity for the VP to send a strong message that his is a privileged position and that they will be seeing more of it if they give him another chance.

Mr Awori has also conducted various fund-raisers, which he uses as campaign platforms. He resorted to them when he discovered that political rallies might end up with poor turnout.

But his critics fault him on the use of CDF money. They argue that the cash has been directed to projects which have no direct bearing to the welfare of the people. For instance, they point out that some money has been used to construct an airstrip, and a court building and a stadium at Funyula trading centre.

Dr Ojiambo says she is optimistic that she will get back the seat she lost to Mr Awori in the 1983 snap elections.

She is still assuring her supporters that ODM-K will remain united despite the recent re-alignments.

Mr Ogama, who has a strong presence in the constituency, could also present a strong challenge to the VP. He came second last time when he vied on a Kanu ticket.

Though the ODM-K politicians have parallel offices in the constituency they still insist that they are working together. They are saying that they could back one among them to face off with Mr Awori.

Like Mr Ogama, Mr Afande insists that despite the conflicts in ODM-K the VP should prepare for a bruising battle.

Dr Otuoma is also on the ground campaigning and says this time round he is not ready to lose.

Ugenya MP Stephen Ondiek and lawyer James Orengo are waiting with baited breath for the anticipated creation of 40 constituencies.

And they hope that Ugenya would be among those to be split.

With the split, the two, who are related through marriage, might find themselves in the same constituency.

The archbishop is Mr Orengo’s brother-in-law, having married the lawyer’s sister.

The two politicians have in the past represented the constituency at different times.

When Kenya Electoral Commission toured the area, residents recommended that the split be between Ukwala and Ugunja divisions with River Nzoia as the boundary.

This would leave the two locked up in Ukwala and a new crop of politicians in Ugunja. They will compete with Mr Stephen Okoth Mwanga, the Siaya District Kenya national Union of Teachers (Knut) branch executive secretary, Mr William Ohonde and former University of Nairobi student leader Peter Rang’inya.

Second proposal

A second proposal on the division of the constituency would be along the Kisumu-Busia road.

Others suggested that East Ugenya and North East Ugenya locations should be annexed to Ugunja with Saf stream which drains into river Nzoia as the boundary.

The latter two possibilities would see Mr Orengo and Archbishop Ondiek placed in different constituencies.

However, leaders from Ugunja Division are opposed to such a split, terming it an attempt by the people of Ukwala to extend their dominance of local politics.

They argue that the split along the existing divisional administrative boundaries would present them with an opportunity to send one of their own to Parliament.

Ugunja youth leader Dick Okello wants the River Nzoia option adopted so that Ugunja can break the dominance.

However, he says Archbishop Ondiek and Mr Orengo would remain the key figures in Ugunja. Mr Orengo enjoys support in Ugunja Division, especially at Uholo and parts of central Ugenya.

Archbishop Ondiek commands considerable support from the vast Ukwala Division, South Ugenya and parts of Uholo.

But the two relatives should brace for opposition from emerging youthful politicians such as Mr Mwanga and Mr Rang’inya.

Mr Mwanga has support from a Swiss NGO known as the Kenya Swiss Development.

He has been criss-crossing the constituency assisting individuals and organised groups.

Ukwala has produced all MPs in the area since independence and politicians from Ugunja seem determined to change the scenario.

Aspirants from Ukwala include Siaya county council chairman Daniel Owino Amoth, Ugunja businessman Peter Odero Rambula, retired bank worker William Oloch, educationist Paul Nyambala and insurance broker Maurice J. Okumu.

Mr Amoth, Mr Oloch and Mr Odero may have an upper hand due to their strong financial muscle.

If the new constituency is divided along River Nzoia, clan politics are expected to determine who represents the area.

Mr Amoth, Mr Okumu and Mr Oloch are members of the Jo Ugenya clan, with the former two from South Ugenya and the latter from Central while Mr Odero and Mr Nyambala hail from the Uholo clan.

Determine winner

It should be noted that even within the three Uholo locations, most people are from the Ugenya clans, notably Kager and Kanyamuot.

The Jo-Uholo may gang up to vote against Jo-Ugenya candidates arguing that prior to the split, they have always been led by Jo Ugenya from Ukwala.

The same may apply to Jo–Ugenya in South and Central Ugenya locations who may choose to bar Ja–Uholo from being their representative.

But either way, it will be a game of numbers and support from Mr Orengo or Archbishop Ondiek and their parties would determine the winner.

Ugunja residents accuse Archbishop Ondiek, the Legio Maria clergyman of spending a chunk of constituency development funds to develop Ukwala at the expense of their division.

Mr Nyatieng’ says the MP might have foreseen the split of the constituency hence “his decision to channel most of the funds to projects in Ukwala.”

“Why we are arguing that Archbishop Ondiek could still take the control of Ukwala is that he has developed Ukwala a lot, using CDF resources,” Mr Nyatieng’ argues.

But residents would be in for a bruising encounter should the archbishop and Mr Orengo find themselves in the same constituency.

Skewed allocation

“We cannot cheat ourselves, the two would still control one of the constituencies or both, depending on how the split is done,” adds Mr Nyatieng’.

While Archbishop Ondiek is being accused of skewed allocation of devolved funds under his care, Mr Orengo is blamed for under-development of the constituency when he was MP.

His opponents reckon he would be better off as an MP in urban centres because he has “no tangible development project to boast of in both divisions.”

But his supporters maintain that he is a national politician whose contribution to the country’s democratic process cannot be compared to the man of the cloth.

Mr Orengo was among leading politicians who fought for the Second Liberation that helped bring about political changes with the re-introduction of multi-partyism.

Archbishop Ondiek’s supporters defend him for building schools and health centres.

They dismiss claims that he had allocated more funds to one division, saying it is propaganda by his opponents.

The fortunes of official Opposition leader Uhuru Kenyatta in Gatundu South and the entire Central Province were dwindling even before he pulled Kanu out of ODM Kenya.

He made a final announcement at the weekend that the party would field its own candidates and hinted the possibility of fielding a presidential candidate in the December General Election.

Initially, there were indications he might not vie for presidency when he refused to submit his nomination papers to ODM-K. That indicated that he wanted to stay out of the State House race in favour of President Kibaki.

Mr Kenyatta has re-invented the wheel and he appears to be on course now than he was in April when the Nation featured the Gatundu South constituency profile.

Gatundu South is overwhelmingly in favour of President Kibaki’s re-election and the parties of choice are Narc Kenya and the Democratic Party.

Mr Kenyatta’s exit from ODM-K, an opposition party viewed by Gatundu South people and the entire Central Province as posing a threat to President Kibaki, has slightly changed his fortunes.

Nonetheless, 10 people, among them a woman, have ganged up to wrest the Gatundu South parliamentary seat from Mr Kenyatta.

Ms Salome Kimata is among the latest aspirants seeking, not only to oust Mr Kenyatta, but also block his first cousin Ngengi Muigai, who has declared his intention to make a comeback.

Leading the onslaught against the Kenyatta “dynasty” is a group of Narc-K loyalists, including former MP Moses Mwihia, businessman Kamita Gichuhi, agriculturist Kiongo Njuguna of the Coffee Research Foundation, Mr Boniface Kagochi and Ms Kimata.

A United Nations consultant and former civic leader Charles Ngugi Mbugua, who is the Liberal Democratic Party branch chairman, is also in the race.

Joined the fray

Former Uhuru ally Zachary Mukui and evangelist Isaac Gitangu of the Agano Party have also joined the fray.

They are promising to give the leader of Official Opposition a run for his money.

Mr Kenyatta may find the going rather tough, unlike the previous time when his stature as Kanu’s presidential candidate boosted his chances and ensured he captured the Gatundu seat easily.

He still enjoys support locally and the fight to wrest the seat from him may be a herculean task.

The aspirants are yet to decide whether or not to back one candidate to oppose Mr Kenyatta.

In the recent Narc-K elections, four of them combined forces to lock out Mr Muigai for the party branch leadership and made sure their allies took all the posts.

Mr Muigai, who is the Saba Saba Asili secretary-general, has not made it clear whether he will seek nomination on his party, but all indications are that his heart is in the flower party and is likely to go for the ticket.

If he does so, then the nomination promises to be a bruising battle between him and at least five other contenders including Mr Mwihia, Mr Gichuhi, Mr Njuguna, Mr Mukui and Ms Kimata.

Mr Muigai, who was elected to Parliament after the death of founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and represented the greater Gatundu constituency between 1978 and 1988, is seen as one of the most formidable challengers to Mr Kenyatta.

He has established a working relationship with various Government ministries and as a result sourced funding for various projects including electricity, water and health.

This has often put him on a collision course with the incumbent, leading to frequent and bitter public exchanges between them and among their supporters.

Mr Kenyatta will have to fight off claims by his detractors of abandoning his constituents in his earlier quest for the presidency, which saw him traverse the entire country in a bid to popularise himself.

But more specifically, those seeking to oust him are of the view that the Kenyatta family has had more than its fair share in as far as representing the constituency is concerned.

They argue that it is time leadership went to people outside the “royalty”.

Neglected area

Mr Gichuhi, himself a former Uhuru ally, claims the MP has neglected the area and left the CDF to be managed by his close relatives.

His sentiments are shared by Mr Mbugua, another former associate of the legislator who also charges that there is “nothing to show for the many years the Kenyatta family has dominated Gatundu politics.”

Mr Mbugua, who claims to have initiated Uhuru into politics, says the MP will find the going tough as he has allegedly lost grassroots support.

Ms Kimata is the executive director of United Disability Empowerment in Kenya, a non-governmental organisation based in Nairobi.

She worked as the IT manager for United Tours Company before resigning to establish the NGO. She hails from Ndarugu Location and is a relative of Mr Mukui.

Ms Kimata has been involved in community work through church groups and is a campaigner for empowerment of women and the youths.

She becomes the first woman ever to eye a parliamentary seat in Gatundu District.