Despite all the political tactics to undermine Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka in his endevour to positioning himself to succeed President Mwai Kibaki, there is a compelling need to for all political pundits to get this political reality in its right perspective. The fact of the matter is that Kalonzo is the undeniable king of Ukambani politics, whether his critics like it or not. This reality has nothing to do with the fact that the Mwingi North legislator is the highest ranking Ukambani politician in the unity ‘Grand Coalition Government, although a very important fact in its own right.
As the V-P, he is technically second in the command to the Head of State, no other Ukambani politician have had the privilege to ascend to such a coveted position. In the last General Election, all but three parliamentary seats in Ukambani sub-region of Eastern province were captured Klonzo-led Orange Democratic Movement Kenya. Lest people forget, it is a political actuality that no other major political party (ODM, PNU, and Kanu) won a single parliamentary seat in the expansive province’s sub-region.
The darling of the media, Water and Irrigation Minister Charity Ngilu-led Narc party was only able to retain Ngilu’s Kitui Central parliamentary seat and nothing more from the sub-region. Even those few disgruntled Ukambani legislators who have since switched their allegiance to ODM leadership cannot erase this political realism.
The legislators do not erase the political realism because interestingly the same legislators (who claimed they lost out in cabinet appointments) navigated their way to Parliament in the last Election with the assistance of the strong Kalonzo/ODM Kenya political wave that swept the region. It is the political wave that witnessed big political names being shown the door from their constituencies. Three former Cabinet Ministers failed to recapture their seats, namely, John Munyao, Kivutha Kibwana and Mutua Katuku amongst other former region’s lawmakers.
Whether or not you’re a Kalonzo supporter, by landing on the Vice-Presidency position was neither a fluke nor a betrayal on his part but a strategic political move. Whereas some pundits might want to ignore a crucial role Kalonzo played in assisting Kenya to start to heal after the disputed presidential election and although truly in the end it was President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga agreeing to the final peace deal and a unity government that halted the country going down the drain, but it must be appreciated that it all started with Kalonzo in entering into an alliance with Kibaki-led PNU and its allies to form a coalition government. It can also be argued that ODM Kenya alliance with PNU not only courageously saved the Kibaki presidency but it also saved the country from anarchy and bloodbath that would have ensued.
Neither Ngilu nor Kilome MP and Transport Assistant Minister Harun Mwau is in any position to keep in check the rise of Kalonzo in their native region. It is the people who make politicians popular and not their fellow politicians. Ngilu did not cause any political wave that saw politicians allied to her elected to Parliament through it.
In fact, Ngilu was not so sure and could not dare join Prime Minister Raila Odinga-led ODM to seek re-election. And when it came to ODM-Kenya appointing two nominated MPs slots the party had earned, Kalonzo showed true national leadership when everyone thought he could play favouritism and tribalism as in the norm in the country. He went ahead and appointed one politician from the Coast (a woman) and another one from North Eastern province as opposed appointing from Eastern province and or his native sub-region to the chagrin of his party two senior officials.
It is safe to predict that in the current political landscape, Kalonzo is the politician best positioned to succeed President Kibaki in the next general election with or without the support of the few disgruntled Ukambani politicians.
It must be noted that in the United States some very powerful African-American politicians did not back Senator Barack Obama in the just concluded Democratic Party primaries. But it did not hinder Obama from clinching his party nomination by beating one of the most powerful and well known political names in the American politics –the Clintons—in one of the toughest primaries in recent memory.
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BOLD Scripts lead story
Updated on: Sunday, June 08, 2008
Story by: OMAR ALI
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