Fortunes mixed for political families
From left: Nakuru Governor-elect Susan Kihika, outgoing Baringo Senator Gideon Moi and Siaya Senator-elect Oburu Odinga.
What you need to know:
- As some of the families fall into political cold, others like the Odingas are shining while the Sunkulis in Narok county are making a comeback.
- Mr Moi, who has been a senator since 2013, lost the position to Baringo North MP William Cheptumo.
- The daughter of the politician Dickson Kihika Kimani – Susan Kihika – who has served as Speaker of Nakuru Assembly and senator, is now governor.
Political families seeking to retain power in the General Election had mixed fortunes on Tuesday.
While some members of these families won elective seats, others lost as voters picked new names.
As some of the families fall into political cold, others like the Odingas are shining while the Sunkulis in Narok county are making a comeback.
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who died in January 1994, was Kenya’s first vice-president and is often seen as the father of opposition politics.
This was after he fell out with Kenya’s first President Jomo Kenyatta and continued to be a thorn in the administration of President Daniel arap Moi .
Jaramogi’s name is still flying high. His son Raila Odinga is one of the two frontrunners for the presidency.
It is Raila’s fifth stab at the country’s top job, the others being in 1997, 2007, 2013 and 2017.
His father also contested the presidency in 1992 and lost to President Moi.
Oginga family
The Oginga family, which has dominated Nyanza and the country’s politics since independence, has caused tremors in this election by bagging the Siaya Senate and Kisumu Woman Representative seats.
Dr Oburu Oginga, an East African Legislative Assembly MP, garnered 285,595 votes against second-placed Julius Okinda Okongo’s 33,898.
Nominated MCA Truphosa Osewe, Mr Odinga’s sister-in-law clinched the North Sakwa ward representative seat in Siaya county.
The Kajwang family continues to reign politically supreme in Homa Bay.
Gerald Otieno Kajwang was the first Homa Bay senator. After his death in November 2014, Otieno’s younger brother Moses became the new senator.
His brother Tom Kajwang is the Ruaraka MP. Senator Moses Kajwang and the Ruaraka lawmaker retained their seats in the just concluded elections.
Mr Peter Mwamba Kajwang, their other brother, has also retained his Kaptembwa ward seat in Nakuru county. He was the minority leader.
The star of the Moi family appears to be fading after Baringo Senator and Kanu chairman Gideon Moi was swept aside by the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) wave in the Rift Valley, a region perceived as Deputy President William Ruto’s stronghold.
Mr Moi, who has been a senator since 2013, lost the position to Baringo North MP William Cheptumo.
Baringo is regarded as Kanu’s bedrock, being the native county of the senior Moi who was Kenya’s president for 24 years and served as Baringo Central MP for more than 40 years.
With the suspension of the Rongai parliamentary election to August 23 following violence witnessed on Tuesday, incumbent MP Raymond Kipruto Moi, 62, may help save face for the famous family.
Other prominent families in the Rift Valley are those of former cabinet ministers Henry Kosgey (Nandi county) and William ole Ntimama (Narok).
Sent packing
The Ntimama, Konchellah and Kosgey families have been sent packing as others take over or make a political comeback.
The Kosgeys’ prospect in Rift politics was dimmed during the UDA nominations in April.
Two sons of the former cabinet minister were eyeing the Nandi governor and senate positions.
Emgwen MP Alex Kosgey, who was serving his second term in the National Assembly, was eyeing the Nandi Senate seat on a UDA ticket but lost in the primaries.
His brother, Allan, was trounced by Governor Stephen Sang. Allan Kosgey is a lawyer.
The Nicholas Biwott family was very powerful politically and financially during the Daniel arap Moi government.
The family of the “Total Man” has lost its grip following the defeat of Uasin Gishu Senator Margaret Kamar.
As the Ntimamas and Konchellahs disappear from the political arena, the Ntutus and Sunkulis are taking over.
Mr Julius Sunkuli, a former Internal Security minister, has made a comeback to elective politics as Kilgoris MP after 20 years outside Parliament.
Mr Sunkuli, who was elected on a Kanu party ticket, served as MP between 1992 and 2002. He too was a powerful minister in the Moi government. He lost the seat to Gideon Konchellah in 2002.
He garnered 20,239 votes, while his UDA rival John Ololtua was second with 16,713.
Mr John Konchellah could not win the seat on an Ubuntu party ticket.
Mr Sunkuli gunned for the seat in 2002, 2007 and 2017, losing to Mr Gideon Konchellah.
Before throwing his weight behind Mr Odinga’s State House bid, Wiper party chief Kalonzo Musyoka announced Mr Andrew Sunkuli, who was then eyeing the Narok Senate seat, as his running mate.
The Ntutus through the former Labour Chief Administrative Secretary Patrick Ntutu are making a comeback with reports indicating he could clinch the Narok governor seat.
Wetangulas still strong
Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula and his brother Tim Wanyonyi, the Westlands MP, retained their seats in the 2022 elections.
Mr Wanyonyi, who initially wanted to be Nairobi governor before being implored by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga to step down in favour of Mr Polycarp Igathe, beat former Law Society of Kenya President Nelson Havi.
The influence of the Mwenje family is back in the city politics after Mark Mwenje – the son of former Embakasi MP David Mwenje – bagged the Embakasi West seat.
It was not the first time the younger Mwenje was gunning for the seat. He lost to Mr George Theuri in 2017.
The Kihikas continue dominating Nakuru county politics.
The daughter of the politician Dickson Kihika Kimani – Susan Kihika – who has served as Speaker of Nakuru Assembly and senator, is now governor.
Ms Kihika vied for Nakuru County Assembly Speaker in 2013.
She beat 12 opponents to become the county speaker. Ms Kihika then became one of the most powerful and influential individuals in Nakuru county politics.
Ms Kihika contested and won the Nakuru Senate seat in 2017, beating seasoned politicians like former Molo MP John Njenga Mungai and Mr Koigi wa Wamwere.
The political dreams of Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria and his younger brother Aloise Kinyanjui became nightmares when they lost in the Tuesday elections that were dominated by Dr Ruto’s UDA.
Mr Kuria wanted to succeed Kiambu Governor James Nyoro on his Chama Cha Kazi ticket while Mr Kinyanjui contested the Juja parliamentary seat on a Jubilee platform.
Mr Kuria entered the National Assembly unopposed in 2013 after the Gatundu seat fell vacant following the death of Mr Jossy Ngugi. He retained the seat in 2017.
