Kenya Insights

Tag: 2022 politics

  • Is Sakaja conveniently Luhya for political advancements?

    Is Sakaja conveniently Luhya for political advancements?

    As candidates race to capture the Nairobi gubernatorial seat in the coming August polls, ethnicity remains a factor that will play a huge role as it is the norm in Kenyan politics.

    The Luhya community for instance feels that it is their chance to occupy the City Hall after backing their Luo neighbors in the two previous polls.

    In early 2022, a group of individuals identifying themselves as ‘Mulembe Grass root Leaders’ demanded that the Nairobi governor seat be preserved for them.

    They argued that the presidential seat is heading to Luo Nyanza and the deputy president position heading to the Mt Kenya region and so the Nairobi seat was their only bargaining power.

    But not only the distribution of positions, Luhyas also have numbers to front for the coveted seat in Nairobi and their candidate can attract other ethnic groups that vote alongside Luos like the Kisiis, Kambas and others tribes from the coastal region who reside and vote in the country’s capital.

    This has led to many politicians eyeing the seat to front themselves as Luhyas though the seat can go to any Kenyan not necessarily a Luhya.

    Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja is man rumored to be Teso, Luhya, Saboati, Kalenjin, Luo and many more but for political reasons and for his quest to clinch the Naiorbi seat, the man says he is a Luhya.

    Sakaja began positioning himself as a Luhya eyeing the Nairobi seat when he maintained walking around ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi in every political gathering to identify with the Mulembe nation.

    But the young senator is always and silent when Luhyas are under attack or in need of a political voice to defend them.

    He was a no show during a mass lay off of City Hall employees where a majority of those affected were from the Luhya community.  City Hall cartels kicked them out on a lazy belief that they were illegally awarded jobs when Beatrice Elach was the Speaker of Nairobi County Assembly but they went through a competitive process.

    Majority of the staffers at the City Hall are from the Kikuyu community followed by Kenya-Somali which ought to have been the targets.

    Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi and Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja [p/courtesy]
    Sakaja who sits at the senate and ‘was not a Luhya’ then, remained silent when he was expected to raise his voice as a way of playing his oversight role to defend the people he expects to vote for him in the August 9 polls.

    He chose to sit on the fence despite being fully aware that auditing firm, Powerhouse Coopers (PWC) was hired to formulate strategies to streamline City Hall and kick out ghost workers when Elachi came to power.

    Elachi succeeded Alex Magelo who was the speaker Abdi Guyo was the Majoity Leader and Jacob Ngwele the clerk, meaning there were more Somalis, Maasai and Kambas in high ranking positions than Luhyas.

    PWC found out that many Luhyas had been overlooked due to their political incorrectness and advised that they be promoted.

    But the move angered cartels and Guyo who Sakaja had no nerves to take on as they directed for the demotion of Luhyas despite them being promoted by Public Service Commission (PSC) based on merits.

    They approached Sakaja for assistance since the matter had turned into case of nepotism but the self professed Super Senator kicked them out of his office.

    May be he was not a Luhya then or he feared that he could also be exposed since he has been involved in mega scandals including Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) where tenders were awarded to politically connected individuals.

    Sakaja who is flying UDA gubernatorial flag in Nairobi was part of the Sh.7.8 billion PPE scandal at the State Agency. He was reported by the then procurement director Charles Juma who was grilled by Public Investments Committee.

    The UDA politician also came under scrutiny in the run up to 2017 elections after his transcripts were shared online showing that his academic grades oscillated between Es and Ds.

    He was eyeing the gubernatorial seat then but after being deconstructed by exiled Kenyan lawyer Dr. Miguna Miguna who was also eyeing the same seat, Sakaja shelved his ambitions and went for the senatorial seat. He is back and eyeing the gubernatorial seat as a Luhya.

    He will face off with Jubilee’s Polycarp Igathe who was endorsed by President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga. Before Igathe’s endorsement, the race had shaped up to be a battle between Sakaja and ODM’s Tim Wanyonyi who was coerced to shelve his bid and back Igathe.

    Wanyonyi who belongs to the Luhya extract was expected to give Sakaja a run for his money given his long political experience in Nairobi and a track record that speaks volumes.

    Sakaja who remains desperate for Luhya support was quick to pose with the Westlands MP for a photo to woo the Luhya nation just moments after Wanyonyi dropped his bid.

     

     

     

  • Is Mombasa ready for internationally sanctioned governor?

    Is Mombasa ready for internationally sanctioned governor?

    Former Nairobi governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko is in the race to become the next governor of Mombasa County after he was handed a direct ticket by Wiper Democratic Movement.

    Sonko had initially hinted at reclaiming his Nairobi seat which he lost through impeachment on December 3 2020 before he recently shifted his political base to Mombasa.

    He will face off with ODM’s Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir and UDA’s Hassan Omar to take over from governor Hassan Joho whose term expires in August.

    But the embattled Sonko is swimming in controversies and facing many corruption cases in court. In early March 2022, US authorities banned him and his immediate family members from travelling to the US over corruption scandals related to bribery and abuse of office.

    Is that the man who is good for Mombasa, port city which is also a tourism destination and foreign exchanger earner for Kenya?

    Already two people have filed a petition seeking to bar Sonko from being cleared by Independent and Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) to contest for the Mombasa top seat.

    Ndoro Kaguya and George Odhiambo filed the petition before the Mombasa High Court seeking conservatory orders stopping IEBC from clearing Sonko to run in Mombasa.

    Sonko whose choice to contest the Mombasa seat reignites the debate on exclusive upcountry vote also boasts that he had many options to reclaim the Nairobi seat before settling for Mombasa.

    Deputy President Dr. William RUTO had approached him to run for the Nairobi top seat on an UDA ticket but he opted for the Wiper ticket in Mombasa due to his close ties, and respect for the party leader Kalonzo Musyoka.

    Sonko said that Kalonzo told him to go for the Mombasa seat because Nairobi has many interests and Azimio bosses had already drawn their plan for the capital.

    Mike Sonko (L) and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka (p/courtesy)

    But Sonko’s entry into Mombasa race has opened a new war front with governor Joho. His quest has rattled the governor’s camp and forced them back to the drawing board to scheme for a counter strategy.

    Joho who doubles as ODM deputy party leader fears that Sonko’s unexpected move is likely to affect not only the governor position, but all other elective seats which have been under the grip of ODM since 2013.

    Sonko and Wiper are complicating Joho’s succession plan which was headed for smooth sailing after Mombasa businessman Suleiman Shahbal was instructed by ODM leader Raila Odinga to step aside in favour of Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir.

    The outgoing Mombasa governor has been dismissive of the other governor contenders including UDA’s Hassan Omar whom he said could not garner more that 5,000 votes but not Sonko.

    Sonko is different, he enjoys grassroots support among common voters across the board which has potential to change the narrative ahead of August polls but the focus should remain on his tainted image.

    Is he fit to be the next governor of Mombasa, the second largest city and economic in Kenya?

    The controversial politician is a self confessed convict who escaped jail. In fact ODM leaders have criticized Wiper party and Kalonzo for going against anticorruption norms to clear Sonko to contest for Mombasa governor despite having been impeached and facing a series of criminal cases in court.

    Kenya Insights can authoritatively report that Joho is also reaching out to “deep state” operatives to tame the former Nairobi governor by bringing up his criminal cases to keep him busy in the courts.

    Other than criminal cases, Sonko demonstrated his wanting incompetency in Nairobi forcing him to transfer key functions of Health, Transport, Public Works and Auxilliary services to Major General Mohamad Badi led Nairobi Metropolitan Services.

    Everything possible should done to protect the people of Mombasa from electing popular politicians who have no understanding of their job descriptions and capacity to carry out their mandate. Sonko is not the man.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Why Tim Wanyonyi is Nairobi’s safest hand

    Why Tim Wanyonyi is Nairobi’s safest hand

    Westland MP Hon. Tim Wanyonyi Wetang’ula unveiled his ambitions to become the next governor of Nairobi on November 14 2021 with his bid receiving a boost after he was endorsed by ODM supremo Raila Odinga in January 2022.

    Wanyonyi launched his bid for the Nairobi top seat under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket and has maintained spirited campaigns to inherit the seat from Anne Kananu in August.

    “Fellow residents of Nairobi, I speak not from mere theory but from a firm knowledge and understanding of the affairs of Nairobi. Having served in Nairobi County for a total of fifteen years, I am well aware of what residents of Nairobi require and I will fix it!” Wanyonyi said.

    He’s banking on his untainted image and proper use of CDF funds as legacies to propel him to the helm at City Hall. Wanyonyi is promising to transform Nairobi to realize its full potential as the region’s business hub with increased use of ICT in service delivery.

    Wanyonyi who has been active in Nairobi for over 15 years serving as a Councillor and MP, has vowed to transform the Kenya’s capital into a smart city if he wins the August 9 polls.

    He will face Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja who will fly UDA’s flag, Tycoon Richard Ngatia who is expected to run on a Jubilee Party ticket, Agnes  Kagure and other questionable characters who have announced their quest for the seat.

    Hon. Wanyonyi has called for peaceful and issue-based politics ahead of the August 9 polls as he castigated politicians engaging in confrontational politics and urged them to seek solutions to challenges facing Nairobi residents.

    “Instead of engaging in dirty politics and attacking our competitors, we should be telling our constituents what we can do for them,” said Wanyonyi.

    He has recieved the backing of more than 30 Nairobi MCAs including Imara Daima’s Kennedy Obuya who called on ODM party leadership to throw its weight behind the Westland’s lawmaker. Karen MCA David Mberia also added that they will rally their support behind Wanyonyi’s candidature not because of coercion but because of his track record which speaks volumes.

    Controversial businessman Richard Ngatia [p/courtesy]
    So far the debate there is heated as to whether Azimio La Umoja coalition should settle on one candidate between Wanyonyi and Ngatia.l with latest entrant Polycarp Igathe complicating the matrix.

    Wanyonyi believes he is the man because Ngatia is a controversial figure whose name has been in the mad for years. He is the man behind a controversial firm that got over Sh1 billion contracts for Covid-19 medical supplies at the centre of the Sh63 billion medical kits scandal.

    Kenyan senate said the said the deal was conceived like a criminal enterprise with a damming report by the Senate showing that Ngatia’s Megascope Healthcare Ltd was part of the rip-off and should be investigated by the Ethics and Anti- Corruption Commission (EACC).

    Ngatia who doubles as the president of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry also has the authenticity of his degree certificate under scrutiny.

    Serious questions began surrounding the education credential’s of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s affluent after UK officials disowned his purported university degree which is obligatory for all candidates seeking the governor position.

    Agnes Kagure, Nairobi gubernatorial aspirant [p/courtesy]
    The British Commissioner of Education the Director-General answerable for Higher and Further Education Paul Kett stated that there is no single university in the United Kingdom that has ever admitted Richard Ngatia.

    “To the best of our knowledge, we would wish to state as follows; there is no University within the territory of the United Kingdom that has ever admitted Mr. Richard Ngatia, or any other student from Kenya by that name, as student in the UK.” Kett stated.

    Wanyonyi who is a lawyer by profession will also face off with Agnes Kagure, a dreaded fraudster who has many land cases including Sh500 million land grab scandal in Karen.

    But with rumors doing rounds that there are ongoing consultations to coerce Wanyonyi to back another candidate, the Westlands MP has affirmed his resolve to the ballot.

    He has refuted claims that he will drop his bid of becoming the city’s administrator to become the running mate to Ngatia of the Jubilee party under the Azimio la Umoja ticket.

    Wanyonyi who also enjoys the backing of Ida Odinga the spouse to Raila, remains ODM’s front candidate and enthusiasts are vowing to stand up with him. On matters integrity, he stands out from the rest of his competitors many of whom are battling corruption cases in different fields.

    When Nairobians voted in Evans Kidero as the first governor, many weren’t aware of his dark past as a corporate fraud who sunk Mumias Sugar, later, the reality became, Kidero ended up being one of the most corrupt governors in the first dispensation of devolution. Since leaving office, the former governor who’s conspicuously scheming to occupy Homa Bay gubernatorial seat, has been spending most of his days in abs out of court battling corruption cases that he engineered in his tenure.

    Nairobi is at a point of making a choice and going through the options of better leadership, there’s an obvious safe hand.

  • Why Raila is giving in to Kikuyu demands for Nairobi governorship

    Why Raila is giving in to Kikuyu demands for Nairobi governorship

    ODM leader Raila Odinga believes his bid to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta got a major boost after he was endorsed by a team of Mount Kenya billionaires to protect their businesses.

    The promise to back Odinga comes a midst a grand search for President Uhuru Kenyatta’s successor or kingpin of the vote rich region that has never lacked a proper presidential candidate in the previous polls.

    The GEMA group made it clear that it had been tasked by the President to present a name of a possible candidate who would take care of their business interests when he retires in August next year.

    To make the rare move of backing Odinga, the oligarchs pushed the ODM leader to accept their tough demands which include having their kinsmen occupy the office of the deputy president, top cabinet positions and Nairobi governorship.

    Odinga who has failed to clinch presidency in his four attempts has already surrendered Nairobi top seat to the Kikuyu nation as part of ODM power games with Jubilee.

    Kenya Chamber of Commerce president Richard Ngatia [p/courtesy]
    Kikuyu candidates failed in 2013 and 2017 pushing the president to form the Nairobi Metropolitan Services to run the country’s capital which was first run by ODM’s Evans Kidero and Mike Sonko who comes from the Kamba community.

    Weak aspirants from Mt. Kenya region eyeing the Nairobi governor’s seat in next year’s general elections have opted to take a low profile as they push Odinga to hand them the slot through tribal arithmetic and political realignments at the national level.

    Odinga now reason that most of the city business are in the hands of Kikuyus and so they should control City Hall, the den of corruption and massive looting.

    President Kenyatta’s administration has however been accused of impoverishing Kikuyus in Nairobi where he planted Maj.Gen Mohamed Badi to run the show.

    ODM reason that the Deputy President Dr. William Ruto’s Kalenjin vote bloc is minimal in city politics therefore a combination of Kikuyus, Luos and a section of Luhyas, Kisiis and Somalis will control Nairobi politics.

    Though there are fears that a section of Kikuyus will back UDA for Nairobi governorship, Odinga still believes that a split among them will cost them since all Luos will vote in favour of a Kikuyu governor.

    The GEMAs allied to Kenyatta and Odinga do not have a strong candidate but Odinga plans to lock out Ruto in city politics by sharing of parliamentary seats with ‘Handshake’ friendly parties.

    Raila wants the rumored drug lord Harun Mwau or tycoon Peter Muthoka who comes from the Kamba extract as his target for Nairobi senatorial seat.

    ODM leaders who has shift from his combative tact for presidency now prefers Kenya Chamber of Commerce president Richard Ngatia, Dennis Waweru or Polycarp Igathe.

    Almost every aspirants has adopted a wait-and-see pose hoping to benefit from possible coalitions to boost their chances of clinching Nairobi top seat.

    ANC plans to field Senator Johnson Sakaja for the seat that has also attracted tycoon Jimna Mbaru and Peter Chege

  • Will the ground shift if Kalonzo backs Odinga?

    Will the ground shift if Kalonzo backs Odinga?

    There is a loud mumbling in Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Party with junior politicians giving him ultimatums if he bends low to become Raila Odinga’s running mate for the third time.

    A section of Ukambani lawmakers led by Kitui senator Enock Wambua warned Kalonzo that such a move will lead to automatic withdrawal of their support.

    The politician are urging Kalonzo to man up and better his chances of capturing the country’s top seat or lose their support to the Deputy President Dr. William Ruto whose UDA party is making inroads into the region.

    But pundits also argue that the MPs who are against Kalonzo supporting Odinga are only doing so to benefit from the former VP’s influence to win re-election.

    Kalonzo who appears to have been shocked by the daring move from his would be sycophants has not reacted to the MPs calls, meaning he could be in agreement with the leaders.

    He has bragged over his long political resume either as observers point that the ultimatum has not gone down well with him. Reports that the ground is shifting to Ruto can only spell doom to a man who is nothing without the Kamba voters solidly behind him.

    There are also reports that the MPs are not being used by any politician to influence Kalonzo meaning there could be truths in their calls.

    This section of politicians are against Raila who has been having under hands in portraying his competitors as weak politicians in their home turfs.

    The move is a clever way of luring Kalonzo not support Raila for the third straight time without success but instead join Ruto since everybody knows that Kalonzo cannot win the presidency if he goes for it.

    But Kalonzo cannot make the brave move since he has been pocked by President Uhuru Kenyatta who is out to shoot his deputy’s dreams of becoming the next president of Kenya.

    Uhuru himself has failed to stop Ruto from making inroads into his Mt. Kenya backyard where elected leaders are shifting the allegiance to the DP on daily basis.

    The president is pushing Kalonzo to back Raila but reliable sources revealed to KI that the MPs move is  a way of telling him to keep off Kamba politics and let the make an alternative move.

     

     

     

     

  • Nyong’o recycling left-overs in his 2022 re-election scheme

    Nyong’o recycling left-overs in his 2022 re-election scheme

    Kisumu governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o has resorted to recruiting 2017 political rejects and left overs to scheme his way into reelection in 2022.

    Nyong’o whose administration has presided over remarkable make-over and rehabilitation of the lakeside city is facing strong political opposition from allies turned opponents who are out to ensure he loses re-election in next year’s polls.

    He is already courting former Muhoroni town council chairman Billy Adero whom he has made a village administrator for the area and former majority leader at the Kisumu county assembly Samuel Ongou whom he made the liaison officer for Muhoroni.

    Nyong’o who was elected on an ODM ticket has sought the support of Ongou who fell out with ODM top luminaries because he was allied to the former Kisumu governor Jack Ranguma who was rigged out of the party.

    Former Kisumu governor Jack Ranguma [p/courtesy]
    The fall-out saw  Ongou losing to Habil Nyasuna, the brother to Gladys Wanga  (HomaBay county Women Representative) who was elected Nyangoma/Masogo MCA.

    Nyong’o also made former Kolwa East MCA John Olum, a liason officer in charge of Kisumu East. Like Ongou, Mr. Olum was also voted out because he was allied to immediate former governor who broke ranks with ODM in the run up to the last general elections.

    The governor who has been bragging of transforming Kisumu City on social media has also fished out forgotten members of defunct Kisumu County council like Fredrick Onyango whom he has made a director.

    Former civic leader Pamela Omino has also been made a liaison officer in Kisumu West constituency while former Kisumu West constituency aspirant John Awiti has been made the chief executive committee member for education, information communication and technology,replacing Obiero Ogone.

    Nyong’o appears shaky and politically weak as 2022 approaches with his formers allies like Kisumu senator Fred Outa ganging with clan cocoons like KKK, mostly politicians from Kano Kajulu and Koru who are out to oust Nyong’o who comes from a smaller clan of Seme.

    The governor won his first term after dramatic ODM primaries where Ranguma was treated as a stranger in the ODM party but Nyong’o claimedhis predecessor had no understanding of devoulution and how it was meant to change lives of the people.