You have let us down, Communist Party tells Mwadime

The Communist Party of Kenya (CPK) has faulted Taita Taveta gubernatorial aspirant Andrew Mwadime for resigning from the party at the last minute. 

The party chairperson Mwandawiro Mghanga said Mr Mwadime’s move has denied the party a chance to field a candidate for the position in the County. 

He said they had not heard from Mr Mwadime regarding his resignation. 

"We are very disappointed. We saw a letter on social media addressed to the registrar of political parties that Mr Mwadime had applied to resign from CPK. He is not in touch with the party," he said.

Mr Mwadime joined CPK in April for fear of being denied a chance to fly the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party flag.

He claimed that his opponents had hatched a plot to lock him out of the race by denying him the ODM ticket and accused Governor Granton Samboja of trying to sabotage his quest for the seat.

Before resigning from ODM, the MP had been a life member since 2012.

He has been Mwatate MP since 2013 and announced his bid for the county's top seat last year.

However, Mr Mghanga said the party had assured Mr Mwadime of its support and even handed him its ticket. 

"He would have told us early enough for us to look for an alternative candidate. We had given him the ticket but he withdrew after the deadline for fielding candidates lapsed. Was he sent to rock our party?" he asked.

Early last month, CPK was among eight parties that joined the Deputy President William Ruto-led Kenya Kwanza coalition.

Mr Mghanga said the party’s candidates and members were free to support any governor candidate in the coalition.

He said the party was yet to endorse any candidate but said it was upon the governor candidates to approach the leadership to seek their support. 

"We cannot go to them. If they want, they should come to us to ask for our support," he said.

Mr Mghanga defended their move to support Kenya Kwanza, saying it shared the same principles with the party.

He said Kenya Kwanza's “bottom-up” economic model will empower the citizens, contrary to what was being championed by their opponents, led by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party flag-bearer Raila Odinga. 

"Our party believes in empowering the citizens at the lower level and ensuring that the public facilities are working better than the private facilities," he said.

He said the Azimio movement was being led by leaders whose families have been in power but the citizens are still suffering. 

"Our people are living in poverty and slums yet we have been having leaders in power," he said.
We could not reach Mr Mwadime for comment by phone.

Sources close to him said he will vie as an independent candidate as his political aspirations do not align with Kenya Kwanza and hence his decision to quit the party.

On August 9, Mr Mwadime will square it out with the incumbent Mr Samboja, former governor John Mruttu, former senator Dan Mwazo, media consultant Patience Nyange, community development expert Rachel Mwakazi, Prof Agnes Mwang'ombe, lawyer Onesmus Mwinzi and advocacy specialist Stephen Mwakesi. 

Others in the race are Thomas Mwakwida, Francis Mwaita, Godino Mwasaru and Faustine Mghendi. 

CPK has already issued over 30 nomination certificates to aspirants for various positions in TaitaTaveta and the coastal region.

Mr Mghanga was among the candidates who were given the certificates. He is vying for the Taita Taveta senatorial seat against the incumbent Jones Mwaruma.

The party secretary-general Benedict Wachira said CPK will continue to ensure that its candidates win the elections. 

"We are a party that believes in democracy and I urge our candidates to ensure that they observe the election rules," he told the candidates when they received their certificates in Voi.

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