Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua faces battle with Wiper loyalists

Governor Alfred Mutua (right) greets leaders from Makueni on arrival at the Machakos People’s Park for a rally. [ PHOTO: FILE/ STANDARD]

When Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua kicked off his Maendeleo Chap Chap campaign last week, he seemed unstoppable. But his movement appears to have met some obstacles.

He first convened a publicity meeting at Athi River and together with other leaders promised to hold a series rallies to cover the three Ukambani counties.

And on Thursday last week, the governor’s communication officer sent an invitation to media houses, indicating the Maendeleo Chap Chap movement was to hold its second Ukambani rally in Kitui town the following day.

“A major political announcement will be made at the Kitui People’s Park where Mutua, suspended Land CS Charity Ngilu, MPs and MCAs will attend. Kindly provide coverage,” the text message read.

On the same day, Mutua, also on his Twitter handle, stated that the Akamba elders had given him the green light to spread his Maendeleo Chap Chap crusade in Ukambani.

However, things took a different turn when the Kitui meeting was cancelled on Friday morning and those who were to attend were asked to travel to Machakos to attend another meeting.

An MCA who attended the function later in the day noted: “It was changed at the last minute because Mutua would have encountered a hostile reception in Kitui.” There was no official communication from the Mutua team why the meeting was cancelled.

Well received

The Maendeleo Chap Chap initiative has not been well received by some leaders from the region (See separate story).

However, Mutua’s supporters want him to stake a greater claim in the region’s leadership. MPs Vincent Musyoka (Mwala), Rachael Nyamai (Kitui South), Joe Muthambu (Mwingi Central) Regina Ndambuki (Kilome) and John Munuve (Mwingi North) at a meeting in Athi River called on Mutua to ‘immediately convene’ a meeting of key leaders from the three Ukambani counties (Machakos, Makueni and Kitui) to chart the region’s political destiny.

The legislators had argued that Mutua had shown signs that he can redeem the community from the bondage of poverty and political oblivion.

Soon after the Athi River rally, Mutua convened his first meeting with leaders from Makueni at the Machakos People’s Park, where Maendeleo Chap Chap philosophy was declared a political movement.

That was followed by another rally hosted by Ms Ndambuki at Sultan Hamud, and the yesterday’s gathering of ‘leaders’ from Kitui County, whom Mutua hosted in Machakos.

Kalonzo’s allies have described these initiatives as ‘stage-managed’ events, quite similar that a ceremony in which Mutua was crowned a Kamba elder at Masii Secondary School.

That was followed by another rally hosted by Ms Ndambuki at Sultan Hamud, and the yesterday’s gathering of ‘leaders’ from Kitui County, whom Mutua hosted in Machakos. But two incidents appear to have complicated Mutua’s plans to sell his development ideology in Ukambani.

Yesterday, the chairman of Kamba Council of Elders Boniface Kilonzo dismissed the purported endorsement of Governor Mutua as the Kamba leader.

In an interview with The Standard on Sunday, Kilonzo said the council, which consists of 22 clans, is not a political movement, and is not, therefore, mandated to declare political allegiances on behalf of the people. “Those reports were completely false. No such declaration was made, and as a council we will issue a comprehensive statement soon to state our position on the matter,” noted Kilonzo.

Despite the setback, MPs Victor Munyaka (Machakos Town) and Musyoka , Mutua’s key allies, maintained the governor had the right to traverse any area within or even beyond Ukambani.

Mutua on the other hand has stated that he is not dividing the community: “I am committed to changing the way politics and development is being done here.”