Supremacy battles rock UDA in Makueni

Confusion has rocked supporters of Deputy President William Ruto in Makueni County after two factions of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leaders emerged.

The cracks, the Nation has established, are fuelled by supremacy battles and the distribution of millions of shillings for Dr Ruto's campaigns.

Trouble started when UDA chairman Johnson Muthama identified Emmanuel Mutisya as the head of Dr Ruto's campaign in the region and placed him in charge of the money.

This did not sit well with a faction of Dr Ruto's allies identifying themselves as the Super Six, accusing both Mr Muthama and Prof Mutisya of highhandedness.

Members of the Super Six include former Sports Kenya board chairman Fred Muteti, former Nema director Terry Mbaika, former Kilome MP Regina Ndambuki and businessmen James Mbaluka, Amos Ngumbi and Onesmus Kimilu, who are eyeing various MP seats in the county.

A second team of aspirants, which includes former Kaiti MPs Gideon Ndambuki and Richard Makenga, coalesce around Prof Mutisya, who identifies himself as the UDA gubernatorial candidate.

The two teams hold separate events, where they fire barbs and popularise Dr Ruto, UDA and their candidacies. Members of the Super Six have raised eyebrows by openly campaigning for Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo while in his Mbooni backyard and former Kenya Medical Training College board chairman Phillip Kaloki while in his Kibwezi stronghold.

These antics are controversial because Mr Kilonzo and Mr Kaloki are angling for the Wiper party ticket to enter the Makueni governorship race.

"We do not have a suitable UDA gubernatorial candidate in Makueni," said Mr Muteti, who is eyeing the Makueni constituency seat on a UDA ticket.

Although Mr Muteti says the endorsement of the Wiper politicians, widely seen as the front-runners in the gubernatorial race, is a ploy to gain acceptability in the county, the Nation has established that the move is meant to spite Prof Mutisya.

The don, based in Japan, has vowed to press on with his campaigns. He accuses the Super Six of being hell-bent on profiteering from Dr Ruto's largesse.

Observers link the supremacy wars to Dr Ruto's poor showing in some of the stopovers in his latest tour of the region. In one instance, organisers mobilised students at the last minute after empty seats welcomed Dr Ruto in the town of Kathonzweni.

Aware that the differences between the two rival groups could reverse the gains Dr Ruto has made in the region, Makueni Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau, who joined UDA last month, called on the factions to close ranks because "we are all in the same mission of popularising Dr Ruto’s presidential bid".

Ms Mwau has declared her interest in the county woman representative seat on a UDA ticket in the August 9 General Election.

Concerted efforts by Mr Muthama to reconcile the warring UDA teams failed after the Super Six turned down his invitation for a meeting at a local hotel.

In leaked WhatsApp chats, members of the Super Six vowed to overlook Prof Mutisya and Mr Muthama and instead deal directly with Dr Ruto.