Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba has lost her position in the Kenyan Senate following her expulsion from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party. Senate Speaker Amason Kingi officially declared her seat vacant in a Kenya Gazette notice published today, marking the end of Orwoba’s tenure.
The UDA party expelled Senator Orwoba on May 19, 2025, following accusations that she contravened the party’s Code of Conduct.
According to a statement by UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar, the party’s Disciplinary Committee resolved to terminate her membership with immediate effect.
“Pursuant to Article 29 of the UDA Party Constitution, and having exhaustively deliberated on the matters before it, the Party’s Disciplinary Committee has resolved that Senator Gloria Orwoba be expelled from the membership of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party with immediate effect,” reads the statement.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party adopted and ratified this decision during its meeting on the same day. Following the expulsion, the UDA party has formally notified both the Registrar of Political Parties (RPP) and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
The gazettement of the vacancy comes after Justice Lawrence Mugambi rejected Orwoba’s attempt to block her expulsion from the Senate, citing procedural issues in her legal challenge.
Prior to her expulsion, Senator Orwoba had presented a court order to UDA seeking to stop the disciplinary action against her. However, the party proceeded with the process, leading to her removal.
The UDA party has already nominated Consolata Wabwire Wakwabubi from Kimilili Constituency, Bungoma County, to fill the vacancy left by Orwoba. The party has written to the Senate Speaker to initiate the formal process of Orwoba’s removal and subsequent replacement.
The disciplinary action against Orwoba stemmed from a complaint filed by Festus Omwamba and Henry Muriithi (Disciplinary Complaint No. 2 of 2025).
While specific details of the complaint were not fully disclosed in the party’s statement, reports indicate tensions arose after Orwoba attended former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i’s homecoming event.
When questioned about her attendance at the event, Orwoba defended her actions.
This led to further friction with the party, culminating in her summons to appear before the disciplinary committee at the Hustler Centre, where she arrived wearing a UDA party polo T-shirt.
In justifying the expulsion, Secretary General Omar stated that while the UDA Party upholds the values of freedom of expression and association as enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya 2010, “fidelity and loyalty to Party ideals are fundamental.”
The statement further clarified that Senator Orwoba “cannot continue to play for two political teams simultaneously,” suggesting that her actions were viewed as contradictory to the party’s interests and direction.
With the seat now officially vacant, the IEBC is expected to begin the process of confirming Wakwabubi’s nomination in accordance with electoral laws.
The race to 2022 elections began taking shape after the infamous handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and the opposition chief Hon. Raila Odinga. Events that followed the handshake exposed Uhuru’s betrayal of his deputy, Dr. William Ruto whom he had promised to back upon expiry of his term.
Jubilee purge was the core of it all where the president directed that all politicians allied to his deputy be kicked from party leadership and parliamentary committees. The purge went on further with futile attempts to even kick out Ruto from the DP position or to push him resign but they only succeeded in uprooting him as the deputy leader of the ruling Jubilee party.
Ruto’s position was taken by little known Jimmy Angwenyi months after he had moved on and formed United Democratic Alliance (UDA Party) where he is the boss and has beaten Jubilee in many by-elections.
But despite the onslaughts targeting Ruto allied politicians and raw abuse of power where police and bodies like Kenya Revenue Authority and Ethics and Anti Corruption Commissions have been used to intimidate UDA politicians, the DP’s camp has interestingly attracted the president’s foot soldiers.
Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi is the latest top leader from the President’s backyard to join Kenya Kwanza Alliance where Ruto is a top presidential contender.
Muturi who recently joined Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka in Kenya Kwanza had received the president’s backing prior to his coronation as Mt. Kenya Spokesperson in May last year.
His coronation was touted as a cultural event but had a huge impact on power and succession politics in the President Uhuru’s turf. The endorsement as GEMA spokesman boosted his political ambitions and he has carried it all to the Deputy President’s camp where he can negotiate for a running mate position.
After 9th August, Uhuru will be representing history and we must look to the future when we make decisions. – Justin Muturi pic.twitter.com/fi6xNS6hfN
It gave him all the guts to cast his political net beyond his Mt Kenya East region and try to forge the next direction for politics in the entire Mt. Kenya region.
“The idea is to be able to reach out to everybody and bring in as much as possible through persuasion, consultation and discussion. I am capable of carrying out the responsibilities elders will bestow on me” Muturi said.
And more interestingly, even Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru who was initially opposed to Muturi’s endorsement as the regions kingpin had shifted her allegiance from President Uhuru Kenyatta whom she dump for DP William Ruto.
They have tried to intimidate Waiguru through attempts to revive her corruption cases but with no success. She told off the president in one of the dailies that she has moved on and is comfortable in UDA, leaving Azimio old guards to settle for washed out politicians like Martha Karua and Kitui’s Charity Ngilu who is likely to lose her gubernatorial seat.
But even prominent politicians from the President’s home county of Kiambu have dumped him for William Ruto. Hon. Moses Kuria of Gatundu South is in Kenya Kwanza, Kiambu Women rep Gathoni wa Muchomba dumped Uhuru’s Jubilee Party for DP’s UDA, former Kiambu governors Ferdinand Waititu and William Kabogo are all in Ruto’s camp. Kiambu speaker and more than twenty MCAs have also expressed their support for UDA and Ruto’s bid.
The situation is the same in neighboring Murang’a County where Senator Irungu Kang’ata who is poised to be the next governor is dining with Ruto. The vocal Kandara MP Alice Wahome is with Ruto and so is Hon. Ndindi Nyoro of Kiharu Constituency.
Nyeri Governor Kahiga Mutahi, Nyeri County Assembly Speaker and a host of MCAs have publicly expressed their support for DP’s UDA party and his bid for presidency in the August polls.
A top Kenya Kwanza principal and ANC Party Leader H.E Musalia Mudavadi has joked that Uhuru will one day wake up and find that his bodyguards have deserted him.
Radarlessness, scepticism, dubiety, bedlam, and hurly-burly have tormented Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi’s campaign team and presidential secretariat with professionals and managers he had hired unsure on whether ‘his earthquakeness’ will be on the ballot or will opt to be either William Ruto’s running mate or chief minister in his government should the DP former the next government.
Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi’s recent claims that Mudavadi is too broke to finance his own presidential bid hence need to engage Ruto for his survival in the jungle has spellbind the claim. The Lion has been feeding on grass.
Workers Union COTU secretary general Francis Atwoli was first to state Mudavadi was facing serious financial troubles and he had personally used his millions to rebrand Mudavadi politically.
Matters have further been complicated by assertions by some Kenya Kwanza Alliance leaders that they are yet to decide on whom the outfit that brings together Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance, ANC and Moses Wetangula’s Ford-Kenya – presidential candidate will be giving hope the Amani leader stands a chance of being crowned.
During Ruto – Mudavadi USA, Britain tour, the DP was put to task to step down for Mudavadi since most Kenyans in diaspora are not happy with his questionable past. However Ruto allies claim, since he has served deputy for two terms, the best he can is presidency.
Mudavadi arrival has also not been received well by UDA Mt. Kenya team who now want Prof Kithure Kindiki be Ruto running mate after foul mouth Rigathi Gachagua opted out the race to defend his Parliamentary seat. Though his move might be chess play to calm the storm. He is definitely the deputy project for running mate.
Some of Mudavadi’s day dreaming diehard supporters are clinging to the hope that he will be picked as the Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate and in the worst scenario the running mate.
Now there are reports that professionals and managers atMudavadi’s campaign secretariat are more than confused not knowing what their earthquake man’s next step is.
Mudavadi joined Ruto in a 10-day set tour in the US and UK where they met that a number of politicians, scholars and and Kenyans residing in both countries.
Before he launched his presidential campaign at Bomas of tion Kenya, various groups had started drumming up support for Mudavadi’s presidential bid including women leaders who launched a nationwide campaign for his bid stating Mudavadi was the best leader for Kenya.
But the women were left in limbo after Mudavadi launched his presidential bid and days later teamed up with Ruto, with pointers showing be he will neither be the Kenya Kwanza Alliance presidential candidate nor running mate.
But there was some expectation after Mudavadi and Wetangula started drumming up support for their camp that Ruto might step down put for him in case the International Criminal Court indicts him for the second time following the apparently ongoing Lawyer Gicheru’s witness case solely implicating DP Ruto.
Lawyer Paul Gicheru at ICC Chambers
This can arise if lawyer Paul Gicheru is convicted and the judgment used to resurrect Ruto’s case at the ICC.
Mr Gicheru surrendered to the ICC in November 2020 in fulfilment of a warrant of arrest against him issued in 2015. The prosecution alleges that he corruptly influenced witnesses who were to testify against DP Ruto to withdraw, thereby scuttling the case the court had against the DP, accusations Mr Gicheru denies.
So far, five prosecution witnesses have testified known by their pseudonyms as P-0800, P-0341, P-0613, P-0274 and P-0738, the latter having done so in a private session on Thursday.
Among the evidence the witnesses have presented are call recordings and phone messages with people said to have been acting for Mr Gicheru.
For three weeks, Kenyan lawyer Paul Gicheru has been in The Hague as his trial for alleged witness tampering proceeds. The buzz that characterised the earlier cases involving President Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto is all but gone.
Prosecution witnesses who were allegedly being bribed by allies of Deputy President William Ruto regarding the 2007 post-election violence cases at The Hague were instructed to “hide the money under their mattresses”.
Should Gicheru be found guilty of having tamperes with witness for DP Ruto then second chapter will be rekindled for trial of Mr.Ruto.
Before Mudavadi teamed up with Ruto, his earthquakeness Mudavadi had ordered brand new campaign Land Rover vehicles, set up a presidential secretariat and appointed Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja as his chief campaigner for the presidency.
Senator Johnson Sakaja
He had also hired top avadi consultants to help set up a 24-hour 1 or call centre in a secret and secure location. The call centre was to be used at to conduct a parallel tallying of his 200,000 presidential votes.
In his secret plan, Mudavadi intended to deploy up to 50,000 polling station agents across the country.
Washed version of Mike Sonko Senator Sakaja had even started setting up presidential campaign structuresand recruiting staff.
Those who touted to lead the various dockets included businessman Brown Ondego who was to lead the crucial resource mobilisation docket. The membership in the docket included Mudavadi’s close friends and businessmen.
Even at home, Mudavadi is now under siege with leaders such as Vihiga senator George Khaniri telling him the region will not support Ruto. Already in parts of Kakamega and Vihiga constituencies, no aspirants have indicated interest to vie on UDA and ANC ticket complicating matters.
Besides being ditched by Peter Nabulindo (Matugu), Christopher Aseka (Khwisero), Titus Khamala (Lurambi), Tindi Mwale (Butere), Ayub Savula (Lugari) and Oku Kaunya posed (Teso North), Mudavadi’s co-principal in Kenya Kwanza, Wetangu’la, is also witnessing mass defections from his part mostly in Western Kenya.
Like ANC, Ford-Kenya is witnessing defections to both ODM and Defence cabinet secretary Eugene Wamalwa-led Democratic Action Party of Kenya. The two parties have been receiving tens of defectors from ANC and Ford Kenya from across the four counties of Western Kenya. Dap-K is affiliated to Raila’s Azimio la Umoja movement.
Mudavadi is watching helplessly as the region slips away because he left a vacuum after he was crowned as Western spokesperson major by elders on December 31 2016 at Bukhungu Stadium only to five years later decide to team up with Ruto as a junior partner in Kenya Kwanza Alliance. Atwoli was behind Mudavadi crowning as the community leader.
Mudavadi political tremor has always been and is still below sea level and he found a shadow in Ruto’s UDA. Being that one man’s meat is another man’s poison, Ruto’s poison (ICC case revival) is Mudavadi’s Nyamakima meat and his team might be working to secure him his meat and serve Ruto his poison.
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.
The vocal Nyali MP Mohamed Ali aka Jichopevu is embroiled in a bitter war with the men who managed his 2017 campaigns.
His former chief campaigners are now ganging up with his political rivals like the family of Mombasa governor Hassan Joho and other Deep State toadies like the ODM party whose candidate he beat in 2017.
JichoPevu is former ODM ally who was rigged out in shambolic party primaries where Joho’s cousin (Said Abdalla) was favored but Ali still went on to clinch Nyali seat as an independent candidate. Infact he won against the hype and influence Joho, Raila Odinga and ODM had in Mombasa at the time.
Ali then became a full time ODM critic in post 2017 politics where he is associated with UDA Party and the deputy president, Dr. William Ruto, who will face off with Raila Odinga for presidency in 2022.
He is one of the vocal and visible politicians championing UDA politics and DP’s ‘Hustler narrative’ in Mombasa where ODM still has a considerable support.
Said Abdalla [p/courtesy]Ali also brags that he has performed better than former ODM MPs who did nothing for the constituency.
The MP has been sharing photos of rehabilitated schools online earning him support from a good section of the electorate who are praising him for properly implementing projects through the NGCDF.
Ali was however criticized by a section of Kenyans last year when he announced through tweeter that a soon-to-be-opened girls high school in Nyali was named after him.
“The First Girls Sec School in Nyali constituency since independence opening its doors on 13th Jan 2020. #MjingaNimimi,”Ali wrote in a tweet accompanied by pictures of the school.
Netizens who were not impressed with the move argued that the school deserved a neutral name since it was built using public funds.
But his former chief campaigners argue that he as underperformed and only sharing the same old photo to hoodwink the people. They also accuse Jichopevu of refusing to assist bereaved families in Nyali Constituency, a role the MP says is not part of his job.
And that bitterness is expected to extend to the ballot where they have vowed to teach Ali a lesson. They will gang up behind ODM’s Said Abdalla, the Mr. Money bag who is also implementing community projects targeting the youth.
Jichopevu will also face Millicent Adhiambo, Mark Osewe and Joshua Andere who will divide the ODM vote in Nyali and hand him an easy win.
Thirteen politicians allied to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) are calling on the Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai to resign for failing to end the deadly violence and killings in Laikipia.
The lawmakers led by the vocal Kandara MP Alice Wahome accused Mutyambai of laxity in the violent conflict in Laikipia where a dusk to dawn curfew has been imposed as police fights to flash out armed herders who have attacked the region. Wahome said the manner in which the IG is handling the crisis is exposing his incompetence.
Another UDA ally, Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua also called on Mutyambai to take full responsibility of the skirmishes and resign as Laikipia Senator John Kinyua challenged the State to deploy the military to contain the situation.
“The work of any government is to protect its people, if it cannot protect its people then what else can it do?” Kinyua posed.
Hillary Mutyambai, Inpector-General of police in Kenya [p/courtesy]The politicians who spoke at Parliament buildings want the government to resettle all the victims of banditry attacks in Laikipia county even as it jails rogue politicians who are inciting residents to violence.
This comes barely a week after the same bunch of politicians criticized the State and the police boss for downgrading the security details attached to the Deputy President William Ruto. The debate that followed the incident pushed DP’s Chief of Staff Ken Osinde to write to the IG as he sought explanations for the withdrawal of GSU officers from Ruto’s official residence.
But Ruto downplayed the saga during a campaign meeting at Karen where he ‘advised’ Mutyambai to deploy the officers in areas that need serious security enforcement like Baringo and Laikipia which are under banditry attacks.
UDA allies are making their demands as Interior CS Fred Matiang’i maintains that the government is dealing with the situation and hunting down the criminals who are terrorizing residents of the Olmoran area in Laikipia. He also claimed that security officers on the ground have taken full control of the situation.
United Democratic Alliance party which is associated with the Deputy President William Ruto risks witnessing a massive defection if he fails to neutralize the feud between former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar and other party aspirants.
A section of budding politicians eyeing elective positions in upcoming 2022 elections through the party are accusing Omar of importing his sycophants from Wiper Democratic Movement where he previously served as the secretary general to shortchange UDA loyalists.
Omar who is eyeing Mombasa’s gubernatorial seat has hijacked UDA party in Mombasa and sidelined politicians who have stood with DP Ruto even before he [Omar] was poached from Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper party. One Ali Mwatsahu who is eyeing the Mvita parliamentary seat is accusing the DP’s point-man of handpicking and planting aspirants for various elective position in Mombasa County without consulting party leadership.
Mwatsahu emphasized that UDA is for hustlers and not elites like Omar who are just masquerading and doing less to popularize DP Ruto’s candidature down to the grassroots.
The wrangles are intensifying just a week after a sections of UDA luminaries opposed to Omar met Baringo senator Gideon Moi at a Mombasa hotel and vowed to shift their allegiance to KANU if Ruto does not move with speed to tame despotic Omar.
But Omar who is still remains unperturbed with negative developments has maintained meeting his preferred aspirants as the country moves closure to 2022 general elections. He wants Nicholas Mutuku to fly the UDA flag in Changamwe constituency, Karisa Nzai in Jomvu, Twaha for Tudor and Domoko in Likoni despite Masoud Mwahima, the son of the former area MP commanding an unwavering support.
He also prefers Peterson Mittau for Mombasa senatorial seat and Esther Chepng’etich for woman rep seat but his opponents in UDA claim that his list is not electable in Mombasa. UDA supporters are also accusing Omar of planting goons as security men at the Hustlers Centre in Nyali to intimidate his opponents.
The recent loss in the Kiambaa by-election has triggered a heated blame game in Jubilee party, with top officials directing accusing fingers at the bureaucrats from the Office of the President who hijacked the campaigns and control of cash.
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s civil service advisers are said to have waged supremacy wars, took over the campaigns and bullied campaign managers during the run up to the humbling loss.
The jubilee team appeared shambolic and rudderless to effectively hit the ground to popularize Kariri Njama who was beaten by UDA’s John Njuguna Wanjiku.
A section of JP top officials claim that their team was treated as spectators during the manning of the party’s election affairs.
Officials from the office of the President were engaged in the issuance of IDs and provision of relief food which did not ogre well with the electorate.
MPs who are still loyal to the party have now piled pressure on chairman Nelson Dzuya, vice chairman David Murathe and secretary general Raphael Tuju to resign following the series of losses in Mt Kenya region. They must pave way or be forcefully kicked out .
Hon. Kanini Kega of Kieni constituency and a close ally of the president who participated in the Kiambaa campaigns is now leading the voices calling for the resignation of the top officials.
“We have to make some painful and hard decisions as we move forward. If you are a Jubilee national official and your name is not in the list, kindly submit your letter of resignation immediately before we physically eject you from the headquarters,” Kanini said.
Kieni MP Kanini Kega. He wants Dzuya, Tuju and Murathe to resign [p/courtesy]Kega was supported by Laikipia Woman Representative Catherine Waruguru who admitted that the ruling party is also faced with mistrust like NASA alliance.
Waruguru has announced that she is on her way out of Jubilee and she is expected to join UDA party where many politicians from Mt Kenya region are trooping to.
Joseph Mathai who is the the Jubilee regional coordinator for Kiambu and Murang’a counties also added that senior civil servants from the Office of the President mistreated party officials during the Kiambaa campaigns as they kicked out some from the office.
“You can imagine that being the guy in charge of that region, I was never involved in that campaign so when somebody points a finger at me I think they should be checked,” Mathai told local media.
He further explained that the same bureaucrats also bungled the Juja parliamentary by-election which was won by Moses Kuria’s People Empowerment Party candidate.
“We blame the losses on the people who went there and excluded the Secretary-General and his experienced directors who had come from the merged 12 political parties. Our track record is simple, if anybody wants to know how capable we are, we delivered 2013 and the much-contested election of 2017,” Mathai added.
It has also emerged that Jubilee settled on fielding Njama after their intelligence reports identified him as the most popular candidate who would shield Jubilee from the blazing UDA.
But Njama had over the time been a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto who owns UDA party. He hosted Ruto in Kiambaa in February against the wishes of the Jubilee party bosses.
Njama was actually eyeing the UDA party ticket before the untouchable bureaucrats coerced him to fly the Jubilee flag.
He was beaten by UDA’s Wanjiku who garnered 21,773 against his 21,263 votes, serving another bitter loss for President Uhuru Kenyatta in his backyard.
This is the President’s second loss in his home county after George Koimburi of PEP beat Jubilee’s Susan Njeri in a Juja held in May. Koimburi was supported by DP William Ruto.
The Deputy President William Ruto is hinting at fielding former West Pokot governor Simon Kachapin to fly the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) flag in the 2022 West Pokot gubernatorial race. Kachapin will face off with the incumbent, John Lonyangapuo and other ‘small’ aspirants.
Ruto’s choice for Kachapin is informed by the fact that the former governor is currently enjoying some growing political fortunes in West Pokot while Lonyangapuo’s popularity is crumbling.
Lonyangapuo is accused of presiding over corruption scandals in the semi-arid county with a section of his administration appearing before the anti-corruption court to answer to looting charges. He is also accused of being too authoritative and running the county without consulting with other top county officers.
West Pokot county governor John Lonyangapuo [p/courtesy]The KANU governor who appears confused over DP Ruto or ODM leader Raila Odinga might face his predecessor, Kachapin, who is likely to use UDA as his new political vehicle next year. In 2013, the two politicians were in KANU when they ran for senate (Lonyangapuo) and governor (Kachapin) positions.
But Kachapin has remained Ruto’s man since then when Jubilee was still a coalition comprising of TNA, URP and many briefcase parties including Kanu. He was elected a governor in 2013 but was defeated by Lonyangapuo in 2017.
They are set to face-off through different parties next year but Lonyangapuo will be carrying the burden of a dismal performance. He has failed to deliver most of his promises with only 13 months left to the next polls.
DP William Ruto during a recent rally in West Pokot [p/courtesy]He blames his performance on the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic but Ruto whose support is sweeping across his county [West Pokot] is succeeding in luring Kachapin to abandon KANU for his ‘Hustlers Movement’ and oust Nyangapuo in 2022.
Kachapin is currently enjoying warm receptions whenever he visits the county. The growing support is also attributed to his association with DP Ruto and UDA brigade. The man who is currently serving as chief administrative in the Sports ministry is confident of reclaiming the seat he lost in 2017 when Lonyangapuo is pleading for patience.
The DP who has his eyes set on presidency recently visited Kitalakapel area where he mentioned Kachapin’s name and the crowd cheered and to cement his preference for the former governor, he later hosted MPs and MCAs from W/Pokot at his Sugoi home where he asked them to back Kachapin’s candidature.
The Sport’s CAS is relying on the infrastructure development and the construction of the Kapenguria Medical Training College, Kapenguria campus which were established during his tenure to sell his come back.
Lonyangapuo is left with a handful supporters and a track record that is tainted with unfulfilled promises, poor working relationship with other county government workers, corruption and embarrassment.
Other than the governor’s nude photos going viral across whatsapp groups and other social media platforms lin 2022, his adminstration’s water department is being investigated over a Sh300 million that was looted through ghost projects.
The EACC detectives investigating the matter raided the homes of the county’s top officials and county government offices where they confiscated vital documents.
United Democratic Alliance is fast becoming the party to beat as race to succeed Kilifi governor Amason Kingi takes shape. The party linked to the Deputy President Dr. William Ruto has already identified the fiery Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa as its favorite candidate to take over from Kingi who will retire in August 2022.
Jumwa joined Ruto’s camp after ditching ODM party which sponsored her to parliament in 2017. She is facing criminal charges but still remains the candidate to beat after other aspirants including former Labour CS Kazungu Kambi and Kilifi North Mp Owen Baya chickened out.
Kambi who was appointed the board director at National Land Commission is now contemplating going for a parliamentary seat after debate heightened on academic qualifications. Other than questionable educational background, Kambi is also financially limping to fund a gubernatorial campaign.
Devolution CAS Gideon Mung’aro [p/courtesy]Jumwa, the self professed iron lady of Kilifi politics has obtained a leadership and governance degree from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
Kambi who once served as Kaloleni Mp will keep off a male dominated race that has also attracted Devolution CAS Gideon Mung’aro, Kilifi speaker Jimmy Kahindi, Amb. Dan Kazungu, Magarini MP Michael Kingi, former Kilifi agriculture chief officer Baha Nguma and Dzombo Mbaru. The current Kilifi senator Stewart Madzayo who was elected on ODM ticket has also kept the electorate guessing if he will elevate himself to the county’s top seat or not.
Jumwa only sees Mung’aro and Kazungu as possible threats but considers Kahindi an underdog who must be wished away. Both Mung’aro and Kambi who had unsuccessful runs in 2017 when they garnered 54,547 and 44,470 respectively against Kingi’s 218,686 votes.
The vocal lawmaker has bagged Kilifi North’s Owen Baya who has been associating with UDA openly and supporting her quest to be the next governor of Kilifi County. Baya will defends his parliamentary seat as ODM remains desperate to field Mung’aro who ditched them for Jubilee in the run up 2017 polls. Both Mung’aro and Kilifi county assembly speaker are desperate for Kingi’s endorsement to take on Jumwa.
Jubilee administration has been a show case of ‘street leadership’ since it captured power in 2013. The administration saw the emergence of questionable characters ascending to leadership positions under the disguise of ‘youth leadership’. Even the summit of the regime of the day got into power while facing charges of rape and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Hague, Netherlands.
Many leaders elected under TNA or URP that formed the coalition then were also characters who reduced the threshold for leadership in Kenya. Former Kamukunji Mp Simon Mbugua, has always been at the centre of controversies, three years ago the EALA legislature was arrested and charged for ganging up with goons to attack a city businessman whom they jointly robbed Ksh 100,000.
“Jointly with others before the court you robbed Timothy Muceru Muriuki KSh 100, 000 and immediately after the time of such robbery injured him,” the charge sheet read in part.
And despite being a powerful guy, the prosecution did not object to the request to release Mbugua on bond, they only asked the court to slap him with affordable bond as it turned a blind eye to his influential that he could use to interfere with the witnesses.
But Simon Mbugua is just one among many of such characters in Jubilee, the former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko is running unknown businesses and is filthy rich. Like the outgoing Mombasa governor Hassan Joho, Sonko has been a rumoured drug pusher for so long to be innocent.
Zaheer Jhanda flaunting proceeds of money laundering [p/courtesy]The sycophantic supporter of the Deputy President William Ruto has inspired many upcoming politicians with questionable sources of wealth to join politics, where it’s easy to rinse dirty money.
The trend is now becoming the norm, young and flashy politicians like Zaheer Jhanda are now trooping behind the DP William Ruto who is now viewed as the man to beat for the country’s presidency in 2022.
Quite a number of parliamentary seat aspirants around the DP have been associated with money laundering, looting of public funds and ‘gangsterism’ which they deny and loosely blame on political witch-hunt.
It is becoming clear that the DP who has made inroads into regions considered Raila Odinga’s strongholds is lining up crooks and money launderers to buy the support of the people as he sells his ‘hustler vs dynasty’ narrative.
In February 2021, Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati accused the DP of doing rounds with money launderers while addressing mourners at a funeral service in Kisii. The remarks forced Arati’s South Mugirango counterpart Slyvanus Osoro, a sycophantic Ruto follower to jump onto the podium where the two leaders exchanged kicks and blows. The Dagoretti lawmaker had called on DP Ruto to keep off the company of budding politicians who he accused of defrauding other Kenyans.
DP William Ruto and Zaheer Jhanda during a past event in Kisii [p/courtesy]But Ruto who seems to be charming the residents of Gusiiland has continued to find more fraudsters as his point-men in the Gusiiland. He now has one Zaheer Jhanda who is poised to become the next Member of Parliament for Nyaribari Chache Constituency.
Jhander is a fraudster millionaire who is always implicated in the fake gold scandals including one where he conned a Saudi royal Sh250 million. The flashy scammer was also embroiled in a Sh12 million car loan dispute with the KCB bank after defaulting several times.
The lender gave charlatan Jhanda the money he used to buy a new Mitsubishi Fuso Tipper Truck from Simba Corporation Limited for Sh8,917,650 but he only serviced the loan for six months until June 2015 when it lapsed into arrears.
KCB repossessed the vehicle and sold through a public auction by Leakey Auctioneers on April 26, 2016 for Sh5.18 million when its market value was Sh6.87 million. Jhander was still left with an outstanding loan balance of Sh12,103,943.50 as at November 2016 which continues to accrue interest.
But DP hardly leaves out the fraudster in his trips to Kisii where he repeatedly presided over fundraisers for a Boda Boda Saccos. In September 2020 when the DP donated Ksh2million, he was accompanied by South Mugirango MP, Sylvanus Osoro, Dagoretti South MP, John Kiarie, and the shadowy businessmen Zaheer Jhanda and Don Bosco Gichana.
Gichana is another hardcore con who became a free man in 2018 after serving a five year jail term in Arusha Tanzania where he was arrested over money laundering. He is now eyeing the Kitutu Chache South parliamentary seat in the 2022 elections through Ruto’s UDA party.
United Democratic Alliance has settled on the widow of the late MP Oroo Oyioka as their candidate in Bonchari Constituency in a by-election scheduled for May 18.
The move is part of UDA’s wider scheme to infiltrate into the Nyanza region as the Deputy President Dr William Ruto steps up his campaign to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta who term expires in August 2022. The new party associated with Ruto has been fielding candidates in by-elections around the country in a bid to give it a national look.
The late Oyioka who died after along illness was elected on a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ticket but UDA has made deals the little known party to support the candidature of Mrs. Teresa Bitutu Oroo who will vie on a UDA ticket.
“UDA and PDP have agreed to support the candidature of Mrs. Teresa Bitutu Oroo, wife of the late Bonchari MP Hon Oroo Oyioka on a UDA ticket.” read the party’s tweet.
The move has sent Ruto’s rivals back to the drawing board after they ganged up to defeat his candidate in the recently concluded by-election in Machakos where UDA candidate was floored by Wiper’s Agnes Kavindu in the senatorial battle.
The late Bonchari MP Oroo Oyioka [p/courtesy]But Mrs Oroo is a formidable candidate to succeed her late husband. The Deputy President who is hellbent to secure the seat after a poor show in Machakos has hand picked the widow to run for the seat.
Bonchari by-election is offering another opportunity for Ruto to display his growing influence in the country with analysts pointing that winning the seat send a serious message the former PM Raila Odinga who believes he commands the support of the region.
The two time Mp died on February 15 at the Agha Khan Hospital opening to other Oparties with considerable support in the region like ODM to also try their luck and grow their support.
ODM has settled on the FORMER Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) director general Pavel Oimeke as its candidate for the by-election. Oimeke is a controversial figure who has been widely mentioned in several corruption scandals.
