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Bet on an upset as Kitutu vote-hunt picks up

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Published on Friday, 18 November 2011 09:37

Campaigns for the Kitutu Masaba by-election which started on a low key last week are expected to pick momentum as candidates dispense with groundwork to hit the road running.

Some of the 15 aspirants cleared by the Interim Independent and Boundary Commission two weeks ago, used the first week to familiarise themselves with the electorate through road shows.

Former area MP Mwancha Okioma (Ford-P) who was defeated by Mr Walter Nyambati in the disputed 2007 polls that saw the election of the latter nullified said he will seek to make contact with voters by adopting a house-to-house campaign which, he said, was better than holding public political rallies.

He is betting on a repeat of the South Mugirango election when voters turned down ODM and PNU candidates who were thought to be favourites and elected Ford People’s Manson Nyamweya.

“Abagusii still feel orphaned after Ford People leaders were thrown out of Parliament in 2007 leaving the community without a party which can advance their interests. They are neither fully in ODM or PNU. This is what helped Manson Nyamweya and I won’t be surprised if it happened again in Kitutu,” says Mr Samson Ateka who follows Gusii politics.

On his part, Mr Nyambati wants voters to re-elect him on account of his development record, especially now that he had only a year to go.

On the other hand, a win for ODM’s Timothy Bosire will be the icing on the cake for the man who engineered the by-election.

He is the one who sponsored a voter to petition the election of Mr Nyambati and he believes that were it not for the irregularities detected during the 2007 elections, he could be the area MP.

Mr Bosire has been marshalling his supporters ahead of the expected visit by ODM bigwigs led by PM Raila Odinga to give him support in the tail end of the campaigns.

Also making waves in the constituency ahead of the November 28 polls are Mr Shadrack Mose of Kenya National Congress and gospel singer turned politician Alex Apoko of Vipa Political Party of Kenya.

The two separately staged road shows in Manga, Tombe, Kemera, Magombo and Gesima as they traversed the constituency.

Mr Apoko said he will start serious campaigns this week.

“I am going to use road shows and organise political rallies in trading centres to popularise my candidature,” he said.

Mr Mose Nyambega (Narc-K) accompanied by West Mugirango party branch chairlady and former nominated MP Catherine Nyamato has been criss-crossing the constituency wooing voters

He also expects Narc Kenya chairperson Martha Karua to visit the area ahead of the by-election.

Kenya Social Congress chairman Atati Kengere said he hoped his campaigns for the seat will pick up when the party’s secretary-general Japheth Otuke and the Ford-Asili leadership led by its secretary general Njeru Gathangu hit the ground soon.

The two parties recently agreed to work together and support candidates to win elective political seats where either of the party is popular.

Former PC Zachary Ogongo of Narc hopes his vast experience in the provincial administration will give him an advantage over others.

The other aspirants are also yet to hold public rallies to spell their agenda.

But as things stand now, the seat may go whichever way even as Mr Nyambati, Mr Okioma, Mr Shadrack Mose and Mr Bosire are already presenting themselves as the candidates to beat.