Wiper dismisses talk on party loss

By DANIEL NZIA

MACHAKOS, KENYA: Wiper Democratic Movement (WDM) has said the loss by its candidate in the just concluded Mau Ward by-election was inconsequential.

Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka wondered why people were seeing the loss of Francis Ngunga to National Party of Kenya’s (NPK) Nzeki Munyaka as a pointer to the party’s diminishing hold in Ukambani.

Ngunga polled 1,522 votes to come second behind NPK’s Munyaka, who garnered 3,028 to recapture the seat he lost in a petition filled by Ngunga.

The winner is a brother to Machakos Town MP Dr Victor Munyaka of CCU and a former close political ally of Kalonzo.

He said he was shocked to read in a local daily that the defeat of the Wiper candidate signalled a fundamental political change in Ukambani.

He said Deputy President William Ruto’s United Republican Party, which is the dominant party in Rift Valley, lost a ward seat to the little known Narc party in Mosop.

“The Wiper party is as strong as a fiddle and those thinking the loss in Mua Ward is anything to go by are in for a rude shock,” declared the former vice president.

He was speaking to The Standard after attending the burial of Dorothy Waeni, wife to former Ambassador Kakuti Kisilu at their farm in Nzeeni village, Mbooni constituency.

He was accompanied by Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana, Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior, Mbooni MP Kisoi Munyao and a host of other dignitaries.

Kalonzo disclosed plans to strengthen the party come 2014, which include conducting of the party’s grassroots elections in March ahead of a national delegates conference.

“Wiper is still the party to watch and those thinking otherwise are shortsighted,” said Kalonzo as he urged his supporters not to waver but remain steadfast.

Pundits claimed Wiper lost due to political differences between Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama and Governor Alfred Mutua, who have been embroiled in turf wars since they were elected in the March 4 polls.

But East Africa Legislative Assembly MP Peter Mathuki dismissed the assertion that the loss was a political blow to the party leader.

“The loss of the Mua Ward seat to the opposition should not be used to gauge Kalonzo’s popularity. Wiper is a national party and it still remains the party to beat in Ukambani,” he said.