Political bigwigs become casualties of consensus talks

Polycarp Igathe and Richard Ngatia

Mr Polycarp Igathe (left) with Mr Richard Ngatia on the sidelines of a consultative meeting at KICC on April 22. Mr Igathe will fly the Azimio flag in the Nairobi governor seat race after Mr Ngatia, Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi and Ms Anne Kagure were prevailed upon to drop their bids.

Photo credit: Jeff Angote | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Parties have chosen to go the consensus way in a bid to avoid acrimony either within their ranks.
  • Some of those who were denied party tickets have already declared that they will run as independents.

The trend where top coalitions are resorting to consensus-building to avoid post-nomination fallout has left the political careers of several key leaders in tatters.

Political deals in Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM as well as Jubilee and Wiper parties have seen bigwigs sacrificed.

The boardroom deals have reduced top contenders across the political divide into pacesetters who will not get to the finish line; at least not through the parties they had initially chosen.

Former Nairobi governor Evans Kidero, despite hitting the ground early last year, could not convince Mr Odinga’s party that he was a worthy of succeeding Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti.

Suba South MP John Mbadi to bowed out of the race to focus on Mr Odinga’s presidential bid.

In a deal brokered by the ODM leader, other aspirants for the Homa Bay governorship, including Deputy Governor Hamilton Orata, Mr Isaiah Ogwe and former Kasipul Kabondo MP Oyugi Magwanga, shelved their ambitions to rally behind Woman Rep Gladys Wanga. Mr Magwanga is set to be Ms Wanga’s running mate.

“I was not called to any meeting for a consensus to be arrived at, nor did I agree with the issuance of the ticket,” Dr Kidero said at the time. 

“I am contesting this seat as an independent candidate because of pressure from the people of Homa Bay, who want good leadership,” he said.

He added: “I am not fighting Raila in my push to become the next governor of Homa Bay. The people want me to transform the economy of this county.”

Former Nairobi deputy governor Polycarp Igathe’s entry into the city’s governorship race pushed Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi and businessman Richard Ngatia from the contest.

Though Mr Wanyonyi and Mr Ngatia had hit the ground much earlier than Mr Igathe, the two have now joined the growing list of political consensus “victims”.

Mr Igathe has jumped the queue of aspirants eyeing the Jubilee Party ticket for the city seat. His entry is a big blow to Governor Anne Kananu, Mr Ngatia and businesswoman Agnes Kagure, all of whom were eyeing the party’s ticket.

Initially, Mr Ngatia seemed to be Jubilee’s favourite, but he apparently fell out with the party’s top leadership.

Another likely casualty of political consensus is ODM secretary-general Edwin Sifuna, who is eyeing the city’s Senate seat. It has since emerged that there is a push to have Mr Wanyonyi run for Senate.

Following talks between Mr Odinga and Wiper party chief Kalonzo Musyoka, reports indicated former Kibwezi MP Philip Kaloki had been fronted as Mr Igathe’s running mate. Prof Kaloki on Monday accompanied Mr Igathe on a campaign tour of the capital city.

Initially, Prof Kaloki had been fronted by Mr Musyoka as Mr Ngatia’s running mate.

Jubilee Director of Elections and Kieni MP Kanini Kega told the Nation that consensus was reached to avoid losing the city seats to Dr Ruto’s camp, which has settled on Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja for governor and former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru for Senate.

“We’ll agree on candidates. We’ll not split our votes. In areas where we risk losing to our rivals, we’ll have one candidate. Like in Nairobi, there is no doubt we’ll have single candidates. In areas where there are no risks, we shall allow individual parties to field aspirants,” Mr Kega said.

In UDA, Ms Karen Nyamu, who joined the party last year, was prevailed upon to step aside in favour of Bishop Wanjiru.

In a similar move in Mount Kenya East, Dr Ruto reportedly asked Tharaka-Nithi Senator Kindiki Kithure to quit the governor race in favour of incumbent Muthomi Njuki.

“Tell me, is it true that this guy (Senator Kithure) is fit to work at the national level? I am asking you people of Tharaka-Nithi with humility that since we need brave people so that we join hands and work together, allow me to have him at the national level,” said DP Ruto while campaigning in Tharaka Nithi at the time.

The move has sparked speculation that Prof Kindiki’s name could be on the list of Dr Ruto’s possible running mates. Prof Kindiki plays a key role in UDA deals and also played a key role in the just-concluded party primaries.

Samburu Governor Moses Lenolkulal was also pushed aside in a political deal brokered by Dr Ruto that saw the county chief shelve his senatorial ambitions in favour of Mr Steve Lelegwe. Mr Lenolkulal has been absorbed into the UDA presidential campaign team.

Still in UDA, Ms Soipan Tuya, who has served two terms as Narok Woman Rep, and Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo were implored to shelve their bids and rally behind Mr Patrick Ntutu in the county governor contest.

In Wiper, Mr Kiema Kilonzo, who resigned from his position as Kenyan ambassador to Uganda, has been cast aside courtesy in the Kitui governorship race.

The party settled on former Kitui governor Julius Malombe through a consensus-building process spearheaded by Mr Musyoka, which took more than two weeks to conclude.

In another Wiper deal, Mavoko MP Patrick Makau had to bow out of the Machakos governor race in favour of former Chief Administrative Secretary Wavinya Ndeti.

In Mombasa, a fierce political battle to succeed Governor Hassan Joho saw Mr Odinga’s party settle on Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir. The move was not received well by supporters of businessman Suleiman Shahbal.

In the deal, Mr Shahbal was instead tasked with coordinating Mr Odinga’s presidential campaign across the country. But his supporters have asked him to soldier on and vie as an independent candidate.

UDA’s Dr Boni Khalwale was prevailed upon to shelve his bid for the Kakamega governor seat and rally behind Senator Cleophas Malala of the Amani National Congress party, which is part of the Kenya Kwanza Alliance led by DP Ruto. Dr Khalwale has since been endorsed for the county’s Senate seat.

Former Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo also became a political casualty after ODM granted Senator James Orengo a direct ticket in the race to succeed Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga.

Mr Gumbo, whose running-mate is former police spokesperson Charles Owino, secured Mandera Governor Ali Roba’s United Democratic Movement ticket to face Mr Orengo in the elections.