Jubilee leaders eye Nairobi governorship, jostle for nomination

After months of silent manoeuvres, the gloves are off as politicians seeking the Jubilee ticket for the Nairobi governorship begin to position themselves in vicious intra-party campaigns.

From these MPs’ calculations, it would appear that they are confident that a Jubilee candidate will secure the governorship currently held by Orange Democratic Movement’s (ODM) Dr Evans Kidero even if  the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) fully rallies behind the sitting governor’s anticipated re-election bid.

The National Alliance (TNA) chairman Johnson Sakaja has cautioned against infighting within the Jubilee family and says disunity could expose  weaknesses in the ruling coalition  and ultimately be counter-productive.

The Opposition have already noted the growing disharmony and may begin to consolidate its support with party leader Raila Odinga’s active engagement with the electorate in the coming weeks, says Nairobi Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) chairman George Aladwa.

There are those who view Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru as the front runner in Jubilee following his endorsement by the Central Kenya Parliamentary Group with Starehe MP Maina Kamanda at the forefront. Waweru was elected chairman of this parliamentary group in Nyeri county recently, and says this was a signal of his suitability for the Nairobi governorship.  “The question of Waweru being endorsed for the gubernatorial seat is not a Jubilee issue because I have received endorsements from across the political divide,” Waweru told The Standard on Sunday. Waweru went on: “My endorsement is a great honour. I have no problem with people saying I should run for the seat, but for now, am serving the people of Dagoretti South.”

However, other Jubilee members are not about to give up their ambitions to seek the ruling party’s nomination.

Former Assistant Minister Bishop Margaret Wanjiru says she will seek the Jubilee nomination.  “People like Kamanda know the political stuff I am made of. I have floored him twice in Starehe and I will do it again,” she said in reference to talk that Kamanda may also seek the ruling coalition’s nomination.

I do not depend on endorsements from elected leaders because I have a way of dealing with Nairobians directly and they have a lot of faith and confidence in me,” said Bishop Wanjiru.

Wanjiru dumped ODM for TNA last year after failing to secure the Orange party’s nomination in the previous election, but Jubilee MPs have not been keen to support her or another potential candidate Mike Sonko, the Nairobi Senator.

 “I do not fear political projects because history has demonstrated that they never succeed, and even this one being championed by Kamanda will fail,” added Wanjiru.

In recent months, Kamanda’s supporters have attempted  to clip the political wings of Senator  Sonko who was elected on a TNA ticket.

They Contain cracks

Some TNA MPs  have held public meetings to castigate Sonko’s brand of politics, terming it “anti-development”.    Legislators like Waweru, Benard Mutura (Makadara), Yusuf Hassan (Kamukunji), Mwangi Gakuya (Embakasi North), John Njoroge (Kasarani) and Waihenya Ndirangu (Roysambu)  have   particularly questioned Sonko’s “political value” in  city politics, especially because ODM has appeared the dominant player to  President Uhuru Kenyatta’s TNA.

Differences between Sonko and Kamanda emerged in January  after the senator is reported to have used  a platform offered during  the burial of former Kamukunji MP Simon Mbugua’s mother   to “lecture” fellow leaders present and declare he would vie for the Nairobi governorship in 2017.

Sonko’s remarks that TNA politicians from the Central Kenya region should forget about the governorship because they already had the presidency irked those present, prompting Kamanda to walk out in protest.

It is these divisions that  worry Sakaja. The TNA chairman says these divisions are likely to undermine the coalition’s performance in the 2017 General Election.

“I have personally initiated talks to reconcile Sonko and Kamanda. I have separately spoken to both of them on the need to work as a team  and they are warming up to the idea,” said Sakaja.

Sakaja went on: “Elections are not tomorrow and when the right time comes, it will be known who in Jubilee goes for what position in Nairobi through open and realistic consultations among coalition members.”

But Waweru says that it is not too early for Kenyans to endorse those they would wish to run for seat in 2017. “In the US, the presidential elections are two years away but there are already endorsements. People have the right to say what they wish,” added Waweru.

Waweru says Nairobi, which is the commercial hub for the East and Central Africa region, needs to be managed professionally and cannot be in a perpetual crisis.   “Unemployment, crime and land grabs   are all  too common.”

However, the early endorsements have other leaders worried. Embakasi Central MP John Ndirangu (TNA)  has asked Jubilee leaders in Nairobi to work with other politicians to improve its prospects at the ballot box.

 “This is a cosmopolitan city and leaders have to work for all the people without trying to isolate   others,” noted Ndirangu. But Waweru dismissed suggestions there was lack of unity among leaders in Nairobi county.

“You have seen us together and you have seen what we have been doing. This unity has now gone beyond Nairobi and encompasses the entire Central Kenya region,” added Waweru.

The Jubilee coalition has nine parliamentary seats in  17 constituencies, while CORD has eight .   While CORD has the governorship, Jubilee has the Senate seat and the county women representative seat held by Rachel Shebesh.

Before CORD won the Mathare seat in last year’s by-election through ODM’s Steve Kariuki, Jubilee had   10 parliamentary seats compared to CORD’s seven.