Double loss as Kuria, younger brother humbled in elections

Aloise Kinyanjui and Moses Kuria.

Photo credit: Simon CIuri | Nation Media Group

What began as a bright day for a prominent Kiambu family on the morning of August 9 ended in tears when two siblings crashed to their political rivals, burying the hopes and expectations of their kith and kin.

The power dreams of Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria and his younger brother Aloise Kinyanjui came tumbling down when both lost in elections that were heavily dominated by the United Democratic Alliance.

Mr Kuria was vying for the gubernatorial seat via Chama Cha Kazi while Mr Kinyanjui was running for the Juja parliamentary position on a Jubilee Party ticket. Voters, however, had other ideas.

Mr Kuria, who ran against a well-oiled campaign machine mounted by Senator Kimani Wamatangi of UDA, did not even wait for the official results from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

“I enjoyed every minute of my eight years in elective politics. Back to the private sector,” he posted on his social media pages on Wednesday.

The other candidates were former Governor William Kabogo (Tujibebe Wakenya Party), Patrick Wainaina Wa Jungle (Independent) Mwende Gatabaki (Safina), Juliet Kimemia (Kanu) and James Nyoro (Jubilee).

During his homecoming party at the Thika Stadium on February 19 after close to four months in hospital, Mr Kuria took a swipe at Deputy President William Ruto, who enjoys a near fanatical following in the region.

He alleged that the DP had prevailed upon his allies in Mount Kenya not to attend the event in a bid to neutralise the influence of his party.

Public spat

His woes worsened when Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa, one of Dr Ruto’s key point men in the region, suggested that Chama Cha Kazi was not welcome in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance. A few days later, Mr Kuria and Mr Wamatangi had a public spat in one of Kenya Kwanza rallies in Kiambu.

On the eve of the election, a suspicious document claimed that Mr Wamatangi had agreed to step down for a principal secretary’s position in a UDA government. Mr Ichung’wa dismissed it as a fake.

In the early days of the campaign, Dr Ruto had tried to broker a deal between the two Kenya Kwanza rivals, where Mr Kuria was asked to step down and offered a Cabinet position in a UDA administration. He declined.

Mr Kuria entered Parliament in 2013 unopposed after it became vacant following the death of area legislator Jossy Ngugi, barely a year after winning the seat. He retained it in 2017.

In presidential results in Juja Constituency, Dr Ruto got 62,193 votes while Mr Odinga got 23,200, George Wajackoyah got 501 and David Mwaure 351.

In the Juja parliamentary race, the incumbent, George Koimburi (UDA), garnered 39,413 votes against Mr Kinyanjui’s 30,799.

Ms Dorcas Wanjiru Chege of Tujibebe Wakenya Party 1,861, David Mwangi Kamau of Usawa Party 525, Anthony Ndungu (Independent) 2,175, and Joseph Kang’ethe (Independent) got 8,588. Juja has 134,638 registered voters and 213 polling stations.
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