By Standard Team
At least 10 constituencies that have for decades had only one Member of Parliament are preparing to pick a completely new faces and experience new style of representation.
President Kibaki’s Othaya, where has held the seat for the last 38 years, leads the constituencies that have been represented by one person for decades.
Thanks to the new constitution which has introduced a new devolved system of governance by creating a two-tier Chamber with the Senate being the upper house and the National Assembly the lower one, some constituencies will also see the MPs who have represented them run for newer positions such as those of Governor and Senator.
Also, those whose MPs aim to run for State House will also have to pick new MPs because the new laws bar presidential aspirants from seeking any other elective post as they gun for State House.
In the case of Othaya, after close to four decades represented by one person, they will have the opportunity to change the trend, as President Kibaki would be retiring in line with the Constitution’s two-term limit.
Second in line is Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka who has headed Mwingi North Constituency for 27 years.
Kalonzo who came to Parliament through a by-election following the shooting of former area MP Philip Manandu, has already declared he would be vying for the presidency through the Wiper Democratic party come the next polls.
The VP is even on record as having bid farewell to his constituents by announcing that he would not be vying for the seat, as he would be going for the top job.
While Kalonzo has represented his Mwingi North Constituency for the past 27 year,s President Kibaki’s co-principal in the Grand Coalition Government Mr Raila Odinga has headed Langata constituency for the last 20 years.
Raila’s Langata constituency has been split into two by the IEBC and would, therefore, have two new members of parliament to contend with.
On the other hand Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey is the second seniormost politician after Kibaki in terms of parliamentary representation as he has headed his constituency for the past 28 years, with only one five-year term break due to electoral defeat.
Kosgey is out of Cabinet on suspension over a case, which he has been ruled innocent. Though he is expected to return to Cabinet any time soon since he has been cleared of abuse of office charges, it is believed the Tinderet MP would be gunning for a Senate seat if he misses out on opportunity to be picked running-mate of the Prime Minister, whose party he chairs.
Following the three is Ms Martha Karua’s Gichugu, which the State House seeker has held straight from Kenya’s first multi-party election in 1992. Also in this cluster is Mrs Charity Ngilu’s Kitui Central, which she has held onto since 1992.
However, unlike Karua, Ngilu is not running for President but is believed to at best be angling herself as a good choice for running mate, and if this does not work out, she is reportedly readying herself to run for Senate.
Mr William Ruto’s Eldoret North having been represented by one person since 1997, means he would have been the area’s MP for 15 years running next year.
Raila, Ngilu and Karua, being members of the powerful reform lobby in the 1990s were first elected to Parliament in Kenya’s first multi-party elections in 1992. Despite changing parties several times they have since retained their seats.
Karua will be vying for the Presidency through Narc-Kenya, while Raila will be going for the top seat on an ODM ticket. He previously held the Langata seat on a Ford-Kenya, National Development Party, Narc, and finally ODM ticket. In between this, he also folded up his NDP and joined Kanu from where he was appointed to Cabinet in 2002.
Another area that will have a new experience is Sabatia Constituency, which has been represented for 18 years since 1989 by Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi.
However, between 2002 and 2007, Musalia was out in the cold having lost to former minister Moses Akaranga. He will be running for the Presidency on a United Democratic Front horse.
Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta who has been Gatundu South MP since 2002, after serving as Nominated MP, is also gunning for the Presidency and will have to forfeit his parliamentary seat for last 10 years. He will be running on The National Alliance party platform.
