2007 Elections
Curtains come down for Wazees
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- Published on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 21:01
These, and other never-say-die politicians headed for their 80s, were looking forward to another five-year employment contract when their youthful counterparts stopped them in their tracks on Thursday. According to the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) figures, 65 per cent of registered voters are aged below 40.
Key among the President’s Cabinet peers is Awori, who is also his principal deputy. The VP, 80, has been MP for Funyula for 25 years and was on the verge of making political history as Western Kenya’s longest serving legislator when ODM’s Dr Paul Nyongesa Otuoma shattered his dream.
Had he been elected, the VP would have left office in 2012 aged 84. Awori was born in 1927 and his boss four years later.
Except for registering a humiliating election defeat – which has all along not been part of his vocabulary – Awori has little to regret. He has risen through ranks to occupy the second highest office in the land and is a well-established businessman.
Nyachae, 75, who has been giving mixed signals about his retirement from politics, finally got a straight answer from the Nyaribari Chache voters.
Having led his Ford-People troop to Kibaki’s Government, Nyachae has been a key campaigner for Kibaki’s re-election under the PNU. Incidentally, Nyachae also served as manager for the Government side Banana campaign during the 2005 constitutional referendum.
Clearly part of President Kibaki’s Kitchen Cabinet, Nyachae makes a sad exit.
And although he delivered adequate presidential votes to President Kibaki from his Abagusii community, he will not feature in the Tenth Parliament. He lost to Dr Robert Monda.
