Mugo bows out of Nairobi politics, but...

The exit of Public Health minister Beth Wambui Mugo from the muddle of Nairobi’s elective politics marks a major turning point in the city’s political environment.

At 73, she is the oldest politically active woman in Kenya, earning her the nickname “mum” in Parliament and “mathee” to a cross section of the Dagoretti constituents she has represented since 1997.

She was forced to bow out of the Nairobi senate seat race after her doctor told her she would not be able to handle the pressure of running for political office after her brush with breast cancer.

“I am disappointed that things have turned out this way,” she said in a press statement.

However, the minister plans to channel whatever energy she has to politics. “I will join the national campaign for the Jubilee Coalition and partner with the Nairobi Campaign Structure, which we have already created.”

The determination exhibited by Mrs Mugo even as she makes a difficult political decision illustrates the mettle that made her founder President Jomo Kenyatta’s favourite niece.

Mrs Mugo’s foray into politics began after she was approached in 1992 as “the third option” when elders in Dagoretti thought the then MP Chris Kamuyu had “squandered” his political chance.

The elders first approached Mr Hezron Waithaka, an accountant who turned down the request. Mr Waithaka recommended Dr Kang’ethe Gitu, then a ministry of Planning official, who also rejected the overtures, saying he “already had a good job”.

It is then that the two proposed Mrs Mugo, then the chairperson of the Association of Professional Women in Business.

“She is a strong woman. Her integrity and commitment to needy cases has seen her maintain her resonance with voters,” Mr Waithaka said of her on Saturday.

Ironically, Dr Gitu attempted to unseat her in 2002. And in 2007, she faced “a youthful rebellion” spearheaded by ODM aspirant John Kiarie. She, however, won with 39,750 votes against his 24,000.

One of Mrs Mugo’s biggest political dilemmas was in 2002 when Mr Kenyatta vied for the presidency on a Kanu ticket. It was expected that she would defect to support his bid, but she stuck with her Democratic Party leader Mwai Kibaki who contested on a united opposition ticket.

“Politics is local. I consulted widely and decided to stick with Mr Kibaki. I knew either of us would be in the incoming government anyway,” she told the Sunday Nation in an earlier interview.

In the city’s political arena, Mrs Mugo attracts the respect of both friends and competitors. The city’s local leaders say she enjoys massive grassroots support.

According to Mr Charles Oloo, an ally and chairman of New Ford Kenya in Dagoretti, Mrs Mugo made the different communities resident in the constituency feel at ease with her.

“She does not classify people as those who voted for her and those who did not. She is also a keen listener to people’s problems. Many people do not believe she will not be on the ballot next year,” he said.

Her interest in her constituents’ troubles has sometimes created problems for her handlers.

Both Mr Waithaka and Mr Maingi concur that she can sometimes take too long with someone, oblivious of the others waiting to see her.

“We quarrelled many times over it. Sometimes we felt she needed to spread her time among the many people who wanted to see her,” said Mr Maingi.